Aluminium smelting cell

An aluminum smelting cell comprising side walls and a floor defining a cathode surface, at least one anode having an active electrode surface spaced from and substantially parallel to said cathode surface to define an interelectrode gap, said cathode surface being substantially horizontal in the longitudinal direction of said anode(s) and shaped structures projecting from said cathode surface, said shaped structures being covered by wetted cathode material and being shaped to modify the current distribution between the anode(s) and the cathode whereby current flows through said shaped structures and through the remaining cathode portions to cause preferential shaping of the anode(s) to encourage shortening of the release path of bubbles under said anode(s) to thereby minimize cell resistivity and enable operation at a reduced anode to cathode distance, said cathode surface having regions adjacent said shaped structures, said regions being active cathode areas.