Zinc producer plans recycling facility

Archiv – A US zinc producer is planning to bring a recycling facility and 65 new jobs to the state of South Carolina. The state Commerce Department says that Pennsylvania-based Horsehead Corp. is planning to locate an US$ 87 million zinc recycling facility in Barnwell County.United States | A US zinc producer is planning to bring a recycling facility and 65 new jobs to the state of South Carolina. The state Commerce Department says that Pennsylvania-based Horsehead Corp. is planning to locate an US$ 87 million zinc recycling facility in Barnwell County.
Horsehead has a contract to recycle dust generated during the melting of scrap materials at Nucor’s three steelmaking facilities in North and South Carolina. The company produces zinc and zinc-based products that are used in galvanised steel goods, tyres, alkaline batteries, paints, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Horsehead has also confirmed that it will reduce the scale of operations at its zinc smelter in Monaca, Pennsylvania, by idling one of the facility’€™s six furnaces in an effort to improve profitability. ’The steep decline in the price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange over the past year, combined with simultaneous increases in energy and transportation costs, requires a proactive approach on our part,’€™ says President and CEO Jim Hensler. ‘€˜We believe reducing the intake of high-cost secondary feedstock and paring back to a five-furnace operation at our Monaca facility, along with continuing implementation of our cost-reduction strategies, will reduce our cost of production as the proportion of our feed from low-cost recycled electric arc furnace dust increases.’€™