Glencore, the renowned commodity trader and miner, has initiated the process of ramping up production at its Nordenham zinc smelter, as confirmed by a source familiar with the situation. The smelter, located in Germany, had been under care and maintenance for over a year before the recent reactivation of production activities. In response to surging power prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nordenham and several other energy-intensive zinc and aluminium smelters in Europe had ceased operations. Details regarding the current output levels and the timeline for reaching full capacity were not disclosed by the source. The Nordenham smelter, as per its website, has an annual production capacity of approximately 165,000 tonnes of zinc and zinc alloys. Glencore acquired the Nordenham facility after it faced insolvency challenges in May 2020 amidst reduced demand for zinc due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on steel galvanization requirements. Notably, zinc prices on the London Metal Exchange have experienced a notable uptick, rising over 10% from a seven-month low of $2,278 per metric ton recorded on February 12 to around $2,570 per metric ton. The resumption of operations at the Nordenham smelter aligns with improving market conditions and signals a positive development for Glencore’s zinc production activities.
Glencore’s Nordenham Zinc Smelter Resumes Production After Care and Maintenance Period