Nyrstar is the world's second-largest producer of zinc metal with more than 4000 employees across three continents and a global footprint across Europe, Australia and the United States.

The Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter has a rich and dynamic history of over 130 years. Port Pirie is one of the key regional cities in South Australia, with the smelter being one of the major employers of the Upper Spencer Gulf region. 

The first smelting operation commenced at Port Pirie in 1889 and a long history of smelting has followed. Over the 130 years of Nyrstar Port Pirie being in operation, the community and the Port Pirie smelter have come to be intrinsically linked. Nyrstar Port Pirie smelter remains an important source of employment for the city. 

Nyrstar Port Pirie’s technology includes top submerged lance (TSL) furnace, blast furnace, lead refinery, slag fuming leach, electrowin copper, and solvent extraction/electrowin (SXEW). Final products include commodity-grade lead, copper cathode, silver dore and sulphuric acid.

The AUD $660M Redevelopment of the Port Pirie Smelter commissioned in 2018, has seen the facility transformed into an advanced polymetallic processing and recovery facility which has delivered a step change improvement in environmental performance.

The Redevelopment has allowed change to occur in three specific areas:

1. The new business model contributes to a significant uplift in profitability of the business.

2. The new technology positively impacts on both the operational performance and the environmental performance of the operation.

3. It also has a positive impact on the community health in terms of blood lead levels ensuring a continued licence to operate. Visit the Nyrstar Port Pirie Environmental Reporting Portal website (click the link below) for real time data, reporting, current notifications and contact information on Nyrstar environmental plans and performance consistent with their commitment to transparency.

The Redevelopment has transformed the business from an aged lead smelter to a polymetallic facility, which enables the processing of a wider range of materials in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The redeveloped operation is capable of processing a wider range of high margin metal bearing feed materials.

The Port Pirie redeveloped facility features state-of-the-art, proven technology currently installed at more than 25 sites globally.

On 31st July, 2019 Nyrstar became majority owned by Trafigura, excellent news for both Trafigura and Nyrstar.

The Redevelopment ensures Nyrstar remains Port Pirie’s major employer, the most significant private sector contributor to the community and the region and a substantial contributor to the State’s economic output.