Hundreds of Angelsea residents braved the cold to rally outside Alcoa’s coal mine and power station calling for its closure rather than sale.

Over 600 people in the seaside town of 1500 marched through the streets and tied red ribbons to the mine’s fence, as part of their campaign to block the sale of the mine and force the coal-fired power station’s closure.

With Alcoa’s Geelong smelter due to close on August 31, Anglesea residents and environmental activists have been calling for the coal mine and power plant – which serviced the smelter – to be shut down.

Instead, Alcoa is seeking to sell the mine and power station, and has said received several expressions of interest for the plant.

In May, Alcoa was granted a license to sell power from the station to the national grid, after the Point Henry smelter has closed.