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This programme is about the econonic, political and technological factors which lay behind Britain's decision to build its own Aluminium smelters in the late nineteen sixties. Traditionally Alumini...um, oxide, mined in the West Indies and Australia has beer reduced electrolytically to the metal in countries where the cost of electricity was low. In the western world this meant Canada and Norway. Because of the high cost of electricity in Britain this country had previously been ruled out as an economical place for aluminium smelting. In the late sixties two factors changed the situation. The major one was the system of investment grants which were designed to encourage industry in development areas areas of high unemployment and the second factor was the development of nuclear power stations and special electricity grants whereby the electricity from such stations could be sold at a special price to major users, for example Anglesey Aluminium. These two factors changed an uneconomic situation into a possibly economic one. Although in the programme the technology of the process is not dealt with specifically, shots of the industry both in Anglesey and abroad are shown. Interviews are held with some of the people with an interest in this industrial development including: The Rt. Hon. Cledwyn Hughes M.P.; The Rt. Hon. Edmund Dell M.P.; Professor E.T. Nevin of Swansea University; Sir Val Duncan, O.B.E. of R.T.Z.; Mr. Kare Willoch and Mr. Jean Michelet of Norway. The programme is narrated by Professor Charles Newey of the Open University. No definite conclusions are drawn as to whether the development of the industry was good or bad but Professor Nevin, an economist, expresses the opinion that the venture, seen in the long term, may well be shown to be economically sound.
This programme is about the econonic, political and technological factors which lay behind Britain's decision to build its own Aluminium smelters in the late nineteen sixties. Traditionally Alumini...um, oxide, mined in the West Indies and Australia has beer reduced electrolytically to the metal in countries where the cost of electricity was low. In the western world this meant Canada and Norway. Because of the high cost of electricity in Britain this country had previously been ruled out as an economical place for aluminium smelting. In the late sixties two factors changed the situation. The major one was the system of investment grants which were designed to encourage industry in development areas areas of high unemployment and the second factor was the development of nuclear power stations and special electricity grants whereby the electricity from such stations could be sold at a special price to major users, for example Anglesey Aluminium. These two factors changed an uneconomic situation into a possibly economic one. Although in the programme the technology of the process is not dealt with specifically, shots of the industry both in Anglesey and abroad are shown. Interviews are held with some of the people with an interest in this industrial development including: The Rt. Hon. Cledwyn Hughes M.P.; The Rt. Hon. Edmund Dell M.P.; Professor E.T. Nevin of Swansea University; Sir Val Duncan, O.B.E. of R.T.Z.; Mr. Kare Willoch and Mr. Jean Michelet of Norway. The programme is narrated by Professor Charles Newey of the Open University. No definite conclusions are drawn as to whether the development of the industry was good or bad but Professor Nevin, an economist, expresses the opinion that the venture, seen in the long term, may well be shown to be economically sound.
| Module code and title: | T100, The man-made world: a foundation course |
|---|---|
| Item code: | T100; 25 |
| First transmission date: | 09-07-1972 |
| Published: | 1972 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:31 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Jim Stevenson |
| Contributors: | Edmund Dell; Val Duncan; Cledwyn Hughes; Jean Michelet; E T Nevin; Charles Newey; Kare Willoch |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Aluminium smelter; Anglesey Aluminium; Investment grants; Political factors; Socio-economic factors |
| Footage description: | Various shots of Anglesey. Shot of ships docked at Holyhead. Commentary gives economic background of the island from WWI to the present. Shot of aluminium smelting plant on Anglesey. Introductory credits. Aerial shots of the Holyhead aluminium smelter. Aerial shot of Holyhead. Commentary discusses the parameters of the programme. Shot of Eros and Piccadilly Circus shot of outside of H.Q. of R.T.Z. (Rio Tinto Zinc) Company. Shots of Sir Val Duncan (Managing Director of R.T.Z.). He discusses the background of aluminium smelting in Britain made possible through the availability of commercial nuclear power. Shots of red bauxite (raw material for aluminium) being transported by road and ship. Shots of the inside of a smelting plant. Edmund Dell (Minister of State at the Board of Trade) discusses the factors which led to R.T.Z. setting up an aluminium smelting plant on Anglesey able to operate at economic efficiency. Shots of a hydroelectric plant which provides cheap electricity for aluminium production (in Norway). Shot of Norwegian Aluminium smelting plant. Commentary examines reasons for the increasing cost of hydroelectricity in Norway. Shot of aluminium transported by road and ship in Norway. Professor Nevin examines the cost components of aluminium production. Sir Val Duncan briefly discusses cost. Professor Nevin continues his cost analysis. He examines the way in which the U.K. aluminium production was made economically competitive with the Norwegian. Shots (aerial) of the Nuclear Power Plant at Wylfa, near Holyhead. Commentary examines the economic arrangement for this reactor to supply electricity to the smelting plant. Shots of the Anglesey Aluminium smelting plant under construction. Shots of the smelting plant after completion. Shots of Holyhead rail terminal overlooking the water. Shots of the Plant's loading jetty and the conveyor belt which carries the raw material to the plant. Shots of Oslo streets with tram cars. Commentary examines the Norwegian attitude to aluminium production in the U.K. Kare Willoch, Norwegian Minister of Commerce and Shipping explains Norway's attitude to British aluminium production and how this production affects agreements made under the E.F.T.A. Convention. Shots of Oslo streets and trams also accompany this section. Shots of Houses of Parliament from, south bank of Thames. Commentary by Edmund Dell gives Britain's side of the dispute. Kare Willoch and Edmund Dell continue the argument on the economic and political desirability of introducing aluminium smelting to the U.K. Jean Michelet, head of Norway's largest aluminium smelting company, discusses the present over capacity of the world's aluminium industry and the desirability of curbing the building of more plants. Sir Val Duncan reputes Michelet's argument. Shots of the inside of a smelting plant. Professor Nevin examines the desirability of providing public money to subsidise the aluminium industry. Sir Val Duncan discusses the overall economic benefit to Holyhead from this project. Shots of the jetty at Holyhead. Commentary looks at the prospect for the smelting plant's success. Credits with aerial shots of Holyhead. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/70865 |
| Production number: | 00525_5054 |
| Videofinder number: | 2168 |
| Available to public: | no |
