Salindres tailings storage facility (TSF)

A tailings storage facility we’ve managed since 2007

SALINDRES, OCCITANIE, FRANCE
Salindres TSF, located in the Occitanie region of southern France, is considered the birthplace of aluminium production in Europe. 

Aluminium production began onsite in 1860, making it the oldest industrial aluminium production site in the world. When production finished, the site was used to manage and store bauxite tailings, a byproduct of the alumina production process from the nearby Pechiney alumina plant. The alumina production stopped in 1984.  

The site was then used by other operators to store industrial residues, such as calcium sulphate, gypsum, roasted pyrites, iron oxides and lime. Deposition stopped in 1995. Wastewater was stored on the basins until 2015.   

Alcan bought Pechiney in 2003. Rio Tinto acquired the Salindres TSF, historically owned by Pechiney, as part of our acquisition of Alcan in 2007.  

We’re responsible for managing the remediation of approximately 28.6 hectares within a total 110-hectare industrial area currently managed by third parties. 

Rio Tinto has managed the site since 2007, and we’re responsible for its remediation and transformation into its next land use. The project is currently in the construction phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. 

Salindres rehabilitation overview

A remediation project at the birthplace of the aluminium industry, where the process to develop bauxite into alumina was developed.

€55m

invested

28 hectares

rehabilitated (equivalent to 40 football fields)

Remediation needs 

The Salindres tailings storage facility holds approximately 12Mt of industrial residues stored over a 150-year period. About 90% of the tailings comprise bauxite and calcium sulphate residue. 

The site includes a tailings embankment, a large dump, 2 water retention basins and a leachate collection pond.  

A key objective of the rehabilitation project is to prevent infiltration into tailings, reducing leachates from further impacting the river, thereby contributing to clean water and a healthier ecosystem. Another aspect of the work is to buttress the dike to ensure long-term geotechnical stability. 

As Salindres is a tailings storage facility, as part of our rehabilitation work, we’re ensuring the site complies with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). 

Remediation progress

The main rehabilitation work began in 2025, following detailed geotechnical and hydrological investigations and studies. 

The rehabilitation project includes installing specially designed waterproof covers (known as a capping system) and a drainage system to prevent rainwater seeping into the tailings residue and entering nearby watercourses.  

Once the project is completed, only rain and treated water will flow into the Arias River from the Salindres facility, aligning with water quality objectives. 

  • Project activities

    Our rehabilitation work includes:  

    • reprofiling approximately 20 hectares of land 
    • installing an impermeable capping system 
    • creating water retention basins to act as buffers in case of significant rain or storm events (completed) 
    • reinforcing the south dyke to maximise stability and align with GISTM requirements 
    • improvement to the existing leachate collection system.

    Our tailings facilities, including Salindres TSF, are regulated, permitted and have been managed for many years to comply with local laws, regulatory orders and other requirements. 

  • Future work

    The next phase of the rehabilitation work includes: 

    • conducting additional investigations 
    • commissioning the new wastewater treatment plant
    • constructing a spillway
    • completing final construction works. 

    We expect to move into the next phase of work in 2027.

Creating lasting value for communities 

As part of our social responsibility program, we’ve contributed to 2 projects aimed at improving local amenities for the Salindres community: a playground, completed in 2023, and an inclusive city park in 2024.  

Once the site’s rehabilitation conditions are achieved, we’ll consult with local authorities, elected representatives and the broader community about potential future uses for the site. 

Preserving bee-eater habitat 

Our flora and fauna assessment identified that protected bee-eater birds were nesting in the calcium sulphate walls onsite during spring and summer. 

As part of remediation, to ensure stability of the wall, we may have to disturb their nesting area. Our closure team worked with environmental consulting firm Biotope to build alternative nests for the bee-eaters, comprising concrete walls with specially designed nesting holes to mirror those of their natural habitat. During the 2026 nesting season, it was confirmed that some bee-eaters had successfully paired and laid eggs within the replacement habitat. 

Our team continues to monitor plants and animals, like the bee-eaters, and devise ways to preserve the local biodiversity on-site. 

Next steps 

The rehabilitation project is still in construction phase and a first phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.  

An additional phase of work is expected to start in 2027 to review the final landscape and capping of the site and finalise the water collection system. We’re still assessing the timeframes for this second phase of work. We expect decisions about repurposing the land will come in phase 3 of the overall project. 

Once the rehabilitation is completed, we will move into the operation and maintenance phase, which will include ongoing water monitoring and management.

Salindres: The birthplace of aluminium production 

Access to raw materials, such as limestone and salt, made Salindres well-suited to supporting industrial production.  

In 1854, chemist Henri Sainte-Claire Deville, financed by Emperor Napoleon III, discovered a chemical process for manufacturing aluminium by reducing double aluminium chloride with sodium, producing pure aluminium globules for the first time.  

He began producing aluminium in Paris before moving production to Salindres in 1860, making Salindres the world’s oldest industrial aluminium production site.  

Aluminium production continued  until 1889 – for nearly 3 decades it remained the only aluminium production plant in the world.