Jeremy Rockliff,Premier
Nyrstar is an important Tasmanian business that has been in operation for over 100 years, and the Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to securing its operations in Tasmania well into the future.
That’s why the State Government will commit $20 million towards an expansion of the Nyrstar facility that will deliver a new Electrolysis Plant and a range of environmental and safety benefits.
When combined with the Federal Government’s $50 million commitment to the project, this will allow the development to proceed – securing the jobs of around 600 staff and site contractors at the Hobart facility, as well as supporting thousands more in the supply chain, and creating more during the construction phase.
A new Electrolysis Plant will also address safety and environmental issues as well as improve production capacity – meaning more zinc can be produced for less power, resulting in increased production and energy efficiency.
It will also allow Nyrstar to move forward with its plans for a new national battery recycling initiative across its Hobart and Port Pirie sites, with the new Electrolytic Plant able to produce pure green zinc from the batteries – potentially saving up to 8,000 tonnes of batteries each year from going into landfill.
Nyrstar is already an important part of our booming exports sector that has continually experienced record highs over the past 12 months, with some $4.55 billion of Tasmanian products exported over the year according to the latest ABS stats to February 2022.
In fact, its production represents around 2.5% of Tasmania’s Gross State Product – demonstrating its importance to our economy.
It’s ongoing commitment to our State is a vote of confidence in our economy, and for the future of the minerals processing industry in Tasmania, and we are backing it to the hilt with our investment that will secure its future for the long term.
