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Lead May 19, 2014 06:12:54 AM

Nyrstar Decides to Invest for Redeveloping its Australian Lead Smelter

Paul Ploumis
ScrapMonster Author
Nyrstar, South Australian metal and mining company said that it had agreed to A$514 million investment to expand and upgrade its 125 years old lead smelter in Port Pirie in Austarlia.

Nyrstar Decides to Invest for Redeveloping its Australian Lead Smelter

BELGIUM (Scrap Monster): Nyrstar, South Australian metal and mining company said that it had agreed to A$514 million investment to expand and upgrade its 125 years old lead smelter in Port Pirie in Austarlia. The company said that the investment would totally transform the smelter into a refining and advanced metal recovery centre. This would process the concentrates from its mine and residues from its smelters. The transformation process is set to be completed on the end of 2016.   

This reformation process will help the plant to produce 250,000 tonnes of the refined lead metal, which is an essential element in batteries. In 2013, the old lead smelter produced lead less than 180,000 tonnes. It will also get the capacity to delivery 100,000 troy ounces of gold, 25 million ounces of silver dore, 40,000 tonnes of zinc in fume and 7,000 tonnes of copper in matte after the reformation process. 

It is estimated that the total cost of the reformation would be 514 Australian dollars, which was greater than the initial estimation of A$351 million as the company plans to build a new sulphuric acid plant as well. The company said that they are also planning to stop the production from its zinc smelter at Port Pirie by the end of July and would shutdown it by the end of 2015.

The output volume is now in a decreased level and costs increasing at the palnt, which has the highest cost among Nyrstar’s six zinc smelters. The lead smelter employs about 800 people. A company spokesperson said the impacts on jobs were not known yet and overall job losses are unlikely.

The upgrading decision was taken after a strategic review about the Nyrstar's processing facilities that it should be redesigned to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

 

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