Zinc smelter Nyrstar just across the Belgian border is “urgently in need of support” | Abroad
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Zinc smelter Nyrstar needs “urgent” support from the Dutch government to restart its production in the Dutch Budel, in North Brabant close to the Belgian border, CEO Guido Janssen warns in conversation with the Dutch RTL Z interview program Z360.
In January, Nyrstar decided to halt work in Budel after the lack of help from The Hague. In other countries, production continues despite high costs, because the work there is still profitable, thanks to government support.
“What we now see is that energy prices have fallen, but that there is no level playing field within Europe,” Janssen says in the interview. “If that is not resolved, we will have a problem.”
He does not want to anticipate the possible consequences if support is not forthcoming. He confirms that he is afraid that Nyrstar might otherwise have to leave the Netherlands. “A first point of concern,” according to Janssen, is to “keep everyone on board.”
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Nyrstar, a subsidiary of commodities trader Trafigura, claims to be the market leader in zinc and lead processing. It has its headquarters in Budel-Dorplein and the company has approximately 4,000 employees worldwide, of whom approximately 485 work at the production site in Budel.
A first concern is keeping everyone on board
Guido Janssen, Nyrstar
The Dutch smelter is one of the largest in Europe, with a maximum capacity of 315,000 tonnes of zinc per year. Nyrstar was founded at the beginning of this century when Belgian and Australian mining companies merged their zinc activities.
Janssen does not say exactly how much and what kind of support his company needs. However, he does reveal something about the period in question. “At least in the coming years.” In five years’ time, the European playing field will be leveled and support in all other countries will stop.
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