Nyrstar launches $80m upgrade at Port Pirie smelter
A major transformation of Port Pirie’s smelter begins this week with 350 contractors mobilising for an $80m upgrade that could reshape Australia’s critical metals capability.
An $80m upgrade of the Port Pirie smelter will commence this week as the first step towards a government-backed transformation of the facility.
The investment is backed by a recently announced funding package from the state and federal governments, and will include furnace upgrades and maintenance, together with upgrades to the acid plant, fume handling systems, wastewater treatment and refinery flues.
Around 350 subcontractors will be engaged from 90 suppliers during a 50-day shutdown of the site.
The works form part of a $135m state and federal government funding package for the Port Pirie smelter and Nyrstar’s zinc refinery in Hobart, announced in August, to support ongoing operations as the company completes a feasibility study into a potential expansion of the two sites into critical metals production.
Nyrstar Australia chief executive Matt Howell said the upgrades would enable the Port Pirie smelter to continue processing and supplying its existing metals such as lead, copper, silver and gold, while providing greater flexibility to process critical metals including antimony and bismuth, needed for industries including renewable energy, electronics and defence.
“This $80m investment is about improving the efficiency and competitiveness of our Port Pirie operations while underpinning our critical metals production that Australia, the US and other global partners need,” he said.
Nyrstar is progressing work to establish an antimony pilot plant at Port Pirie with the first antimony metal on track to be produced in the first half of 2026.
Antimony is highly sought after in defence to make ammunition, and is also used in electronics to make solar panels and as a flame retardant.
Nyrstar is also exploring the potential to produce bismuth and tellurium at Port Pirie, and germanium and indium at the Hobart zinc works.
The government funding package, comprising $57.5m in federal money, $55m from SA, and $22.5m from Tasmania, secured more than 900 jobs at the Port Pirie smelter.
Newly appointed general manager for Nyrstar Port Pirie, Darin Cooper, said the upgrade works would deliver economic benefits to the local community following a period of uncertainty.
“Backed by the support of the South Australian and federal governments, we are creating new opportunities at Port Pirie for economic growth, supply chain resilience, and sovereign capability in the production of strategic metals vital for technology, energy transition and defence.”
Federal Industry Minister Tim Ayres said the upgrades would improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the Port Pirie operations.
“This new investment makes the smelter more capable, more efficient and is part of the effort by Nyrstar, the governments, workers and maintenance teams to secure the plant’s future,” he said.
“This is good for workers, local firms, the Port Pirie community and Australia’s partners across global supply chains.”
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