Zinc is everywhere. In our bodies, our food, medicines, make-up, steel structures, cars, cell phones, zippers and the door handle. Nyrstar in Budel-Dorplein is a major producer. The company is one of the top 3 in the world. But zinc production has been halted for some time. Reason: the high energy costs. “We run almost entirely on electricity, it is a raw material for us in the zinc electrolysis process,” says general manager Henk Leendertse of Nyrstar Budel.
Nyrstar’s ore hall is quiet. Normally, the trains come in with raw materials from the port of Antwerp. The raw materials are extracted from mines in North America and Australia. An important second source is ‘urban mining’. More and more raw materials then come from recycled material. For example, zinc construction products are recovered from the demolition of an old office building that can be melted again.
“It concerns a substantial part of our production”, says Henk Leendertse. “Over the past decades, we have seen an increase in the amount of zinc available from recycling, which could lead to a decline in zinc from mines over time.”
“The employees love this company and want to make zinc.”
A large conveyor belt runs up from the ore hall. The raw materials are there on their way to the first phase of the production process: ‘roasting’. But the band is silent. And the installation is silent. “Normally you would hear buzzing here. It’s very strange how quiet it is,” says Leendertse. “You don’t want this. Neither do the employees. They love the company and want to make zinc.” The 475 employees are now engaged in training, maintenance and cleaning work.
Nyrstar has been running entirely on electricity since 1973, so there is almost no CO2 emissions. There are, however, high-voltage pylons along a stretch of ten kilometers, specially constructed for the company. It was a huge investment at the time. “We are a forerunner in this,” says Leendertse. “Everything is green electricity. And yet we lie still. While we’re doing so well. The Netherlands now imports zinc from parts of the world where there is much more CO2 emissions.”
“We will survive this too, just another 130 years”
The company recently celebrated its 130th anniversary. 1,300 people came to an open day. Nyrstar is the pride of Budel-Dorplein. The village is named after the founders of Nyrstar Budel, the Dor brothers. “Many people said to us, we will survive this too, just another 130 years,” says Leendertse.
The company has no idea when it can start up again, even though the price for gas and electricity is currently falling. Behind the scenes conversations are being held with the government. Goal: a level playing field in Europe. Other countries are more accommodating to companies that use a lot of energy than the Netherlands.
“Batteries, windmills and solar panels: it can’t do without zinc.”
Nevertheless, Nyrstar continues to look far into the future, it is confident in it. The demand for zinc will only increase, the company believes. Zinc is needed for the green transition and Nyrstar wants to play a role in that. “Batteries, wind turbines, solar panels: it cannot do without zinc,” says Leendertse. “This company is transforming itself to fit in with the green transition.”
It was different in the early days of Nyrstar. The thermal factory that was there at the time caused considerable environmental damage. The zinc waste had to be cleaned up throughout the region. Such pollution has long since ceased to exist. Nyrstar cleans its own groundwater and reuses the residual material in the production process.
“It will be nice when the silence gives way to activity again.”
Most of the energy goes into the electrolysis hall. Aluminum sheets are suspended in a bath of zinc sulphate solution, electricity is passed through them and the zinc deposits on the sheets. The meters are very good there. Nyrstar uses as much electricity as the city of Eindhoven. The result is a hefty electricity bill.
But the company cannot wait for the moment when it is economically feasible to restart the process. A process that will then take a few weeks. Leendertse: “It will be nice if the silence makes way for activity again and the machines can run at full speed again.”