The British Aluminium Company Limited

The British Aluminium Company Limited was established on 7th May 1894 as an aluminium producer. It was able to acquire the patent rights to the processes developed by Bayer and Heroult in Britain and its Empire and also established mines in Ireland and production facility near Inverness. In 1895 they opened a new plant at Larne to produce Alumina and also invested in hydroelectricity to provide cheap electricity of its Scottish facilities.

By 1897 the company produced 10% of the world’s aluminium and the following year Lord Kelvin became a board member and scientific advisor. It would also acquire the Union des Bauxites which allowed it to mine in France. In 1904 they opened a new site at Kinlochleven, and 3 years later also established facilities in Norway. In 1910 it was registered as a public company and by 1914 it had expanded to the pint of employing 3,000 people.

During the First World War the British Aluminium Company expanded its facilities in Ireland and continued to operate using imported ore. In 1924 it established the North British Aluminium Company to operate a new site near Inverness and 3 years later it formed a further subsidiary to manage the increasing number of hydro-electric facilities it operated. Prior to the Second World War it continued to expand with new facilities in the United Kingdom and a new company, British and Colonial Bauxite Company, that exploited reserves in Ghana. During the War it would supply the aircraft industry and expand its reach.

In 1955 the company acquired Magnesium Elektron but 3 years later it would itself be taken over by a joint venture between Reynolds Metals and Tube Investments Aluminium. It would continue as a subsidiary of the two until 1978 when Reynolds sold its share. Tube Investments would then continue as the sole owner until 1982 when the British Aluminium Company was sold to Alcan Aluminium (UK) Ltd.