Nyrstar jobs: 45 hires needed right now amid zinc rush

A new $400m electrolyser at the metal producer’s Lutana smelter will create up to 200 jobs at construction peak, while the company itself is looking to hire an additional 45 workers right now.

There’s a jobs bonanza at Hobart’s iconic zinc works as Nyrstar looks to capitalise on soaring global demand for the critical mineral.

It comes as the global multi-metals manufacturing company is finalising plans for a new $400m electrolysis plant at its Lutana site, which has been in operation since 1916.

Nyrstar currently has about 45 job opportunities available for new employees, from operators and electricians to safety officers and superintendents.

Furthermore, the electrolysis plant project is expected to create about 200 jobs at the peak of construction.

Incoming Nyrstar general manager, Todd Milne, described zinc as a “future-facing metal” that was “so important for the world’s green energy transition”.

Zinc is used for the manufacturing of wind and solar infrastructure, smartphones, batteries and galvanised steel.

Aerial shot of Nyrstar Hobart zinc works at Lutana. Picture: Supplied

“On the back of this global demand for zinc, an established industry like ours continues to transform to a high technology operation, with improving sustainability credentials and a diverse workforce that reflects modern society,” Mr Milne said.

“We are one of only two zinc refineries in Australia and provide a significant amount of South-East Asia’s zinc – from right here in Hobart. This is something Tasmanians can be very proud of.

“However, the pressures of distance, energy costs, a competitive labour market and managing a large industrial site is not easy – staying competitive in global markets is a constant challenge.

“For the past 106 years, generations of Tasmanians have built what we have now here in Hobart and it’s up to us to see it through to the next phase of our story.”

Nyrstar has about 500 employees and 150 contractors working on-site at the Hobart zinc works and partners with more than 330 local businesses.

Aerial shot of Nyrstar Hobart zinc works at Lutana. Picture: Supplied

The global zinc inventory is currently critically low at just 22,000 tonnes total and is chiefly located in Asia, Mr Milne said.

Minimal stocks exist in Europe and the United States.

Nyrstar Hobart has the capacity to produce up to 280,000 tonnes of zinc per year and this will increase to 300,000 tonnes once the new electrolysis plant is completed.

Mr Milne said a “major part” of Nyrstar’s “successful transition to a more modern future” would be its ability to “manage costs” and “bring on board the next generation of Tasmanians to our team”.

Between September 2021 and September 2022, Nyrstar’s procurement spend for its Hobart operations was more than $190m, with about 75 per cent going to Tasmanian businesses.