https://newsletter.mw.creamermedia.com

Australia to provide A$135m bailout for Trafigura lead, zinc smelters

5th August 2025

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

MELBOURNE - The Australian government said on Tuesday it will provide A$135-million in financial support for two smelters owned by Nyrstar, a unit of commodity trader Trafigura, in the country's south.

Trafigura put its troubled Port Pirie lead smelting operations in South Australia and its zinc processing operations in Hobart, Tasmania, under strategic review earlier this year, after high energy prices and lower processing fees made the businesses uneconomic.

As part of the review, Nyrstar assessed the possibility of producing the critical mineral antimony at its Port Pirie plant, but would need government help to do so, the company told Reuters in May.

Antimony is an alloy hardener for other metals in ammunition and batteries and is critical to the manufacture of semi-conductors found in electronics and defence applications and is used in flame retardant materials.

Under the funding package, Nyrstar will embark on studies to produce more critical minerals, in line with Australia's strategy to be a key critical minerals producer, Nyrstar and the Australian government announced on Tuesday.

Nyrstar will assess what is needed to modify its operations to produce germanium and indium in Hobart and antimony and bismuth in Port Pirie, with an initial focus on accelerating an antimony pilot plant in Port Pirie, it said in a statement.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

Showroom

John Thompson
John Thompson

John Thompson, the leader in energy and environmental solutions through value engineering and innovation, provides the following: design, engineer,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Amsted Reelin image
Amsted Reelin

REELIN is Currently the largest supplier of Bearings to Transnet. We have contracts to supply bearings, draft gears slackadjusters and other...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (01/08/2025)
1st August 2025 By: Martin Creamer

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.159 0.233s - 143pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now