Aluminium Corporation was founded in 1907 as an aluminium smelting operation using hydroelectric power with water piped from Llyn Eigau and Llyn Cowlyd to the turbines and their DC generator sets in the Conwy valley. It continued this operation until the end of WWII when aluminium ingots brought in from Canada were found to be cheaper to remelt than to continue to smelt alumina on site.
This picture shows carbon anode blocks being pressed from a carbon paste mill. These anodes were consumed by the electroltyic cells in the reduction of alumina to aluminium which took place in a bath of molten cryolite at 950 degrees Celsius.