Continuity, growth and strategy. Nyrstar is preparing its activities and business for the future, with the most diverse projects within these categories. ‘We are constantly on the lookout for innovations, improvements and additions,’ confirms Henk Jonker who helps realise the strongest new concepts within the group operationally and within budget worldwide.
As Global Head of Project Execution, Henk Jonker looks after the implementation of dozens of projects at Nyrstar. ‘Continuity projects focus on keeping our business operations running. They include, for example, preventive maintenance, repairs and the replacement of worn-out equipment and components; everything that is needed to stay up and running in a safe and environmentally conscious manner.’
Growth projects have a business case that is aimed at improving processes. For instance, there are initiatives for extracting more zinc and by-products from concentrates.
New ideas
‘We encourage everyone in our company to come up with new ideas as to how we can make certain activities even more efficient,’ says Jonker. ‘Each site has its own continuous improvement team. Ultimately, we go for the projects with the strongest business case.’
‘On average, Nyrstar invests over 240 million euros a year worldwide in projects for ensuring continuity and growth. In addition, there are more expensive strategic projects. These involve major expansions and innovations such as the state-of-the-art germanium and gallium plant that we are planning to build at our zinc smelter in Clarksville (US). At this plant, we want to recover critical minerals from the zinc production process and process them on site.’
We encourage everyone in our company to come up with new ideas within their job as to how we can make activities even more efficient.
Henk Jonker,
Global Head of Project Execution at Nyrstar
Economically viable
In Europe, there is a strategic project aimed at enabling Nyrstar to use its electrolysis halls as a virtual battery. Expanding the electrolysis capacity will enable more zinc to be produced when there is more wind and sunshine
and less when less renewable energy is available. That way, the strongly fluctuating supply of renewable power can be collected, no green energy will be lost and Nyrstar will be able to make the best use of its production capacity. The virtual battery will also improve the stability of the high-voltage grid.
‘We are focusing on the future with our strategic projects: we are currently investing in innovations that will not pay off for a few years but which are necessary in order to make our organisation futureproof.’
Naturally, all projects must be economically viable. But it is also possible that certain projects will be realised because, in the first instance, they will make Nyrstar’s business activities more sustainable or more energy-efficient.
‘In addition to our site in Balen, we have worked with partners and built one of the largest wind farms in the country. That was an investment in improving the sustainability of our company and in society.’
