Nyrstar was created in 2007 by combining the zinc smelting and alloying operations of Zinifex (an Australian mining company) and Umicore (a Belgian materials technology company).

We were listed on the Euronext Brussels Stock Exchange on 29 October 2007, predominantly as a zinc and lead smelting company. Whilst we are a relatively young company, most of our operations have long operating histories under previous owners and operators.

Since 2009, we have been undergoing a significant strategic transformation by expanding upstream into mining both to secure raw material supply for our smelters and to gain exposure to the more profitable part of the zinc value chain (zinc mining being historically more profitable than zinc smelting).