The National Smelting Company was a nationalised zinc smelting company in Avonmouth, England. It was established by Minister of Munitions Winston Churchill to produce mustard gas during World War I.
After World War I, it was bought by private business interests. From 1929 it became part of Australia's Imperial Smelting Corporation. The site – also known as the Britannia smelting works – was where the Imperial Smelting Process was developed. From 1967, the Avonmouth Works was home to the largest and most efficient zinc blast furnace in the world.[1]
The site remained operational until 2003 when the production of zinc, cadmium, lead and sulphuric acid ceased.
The site is being redeveloped as a 485,000 square feet (45,100 m2) supermarket distribution centre for Asda and a recycling plant for SITA UK.