PbZn 2020: The 9th International Symposium on Lead and Zinc Processing: Lead and Zinc Sustainability and Social License: Plenary Session
Sponsored by: The Mining and Materails Processing Institute of Japan, Nonferrous Metals Society of China, GDMB: The Society for Mining, Metallurgy Resourcce and Environmental Technology, Metallurgy & Materials Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy & Petroleum, TMS Extraction and Processing Division, TMS: Hydrometallurgy and Electrometallurgy Committee, TMS: Process Technology and Modeling Committee, TMS: Pyrometallurgy Committee, TMS: Recycling and Environmental Technologies Committee
Program Organizers: Andreas Siegmund, LanMetCon LLC; Shafiq Alam, University of Saskatchewan; Joseph Grogan, Gopher Resource; Ulrich Kerney, Recylex; Cheng Liu, China Enfi Engineering Corporation; Etsuro Shibata, Tohoku University
Wednesday 8:30 AM
February 26, 2020
Room: 15A
Location: San Diego Convention Ctr
Session Chair: Andreas Siegmund, LanMetCon LLC
8:30 AM Plenary
The Global Zinc Market - Facts, Forecasts and Fundamentals: Paul White1; 1International Lead and Zinc Study Group
In recent years a number of large zinc producing mines, most notably the Century mine in Australia, have closed and this together with a number of production cutbacks resulted in a significant shortage in the market for zinc concentrates in 2016 and 2017. Since that time both greenfield and brownfield mine capacity has been brought on stream, including a resurrection of Century in the form of New Century Resources, and this has resulted in an alleviation in the supply tightness with a corresponding rebound in the treatment charges levied by zinc refineries. This presentation will examine some of the longer term trends in mine supply as well as the potential for further new capacity over the next 2-3 years. It will also discuss trends in the refining sector including whether or not a processing bottleneck is developing on an ex-China basis. Finally, it will provide an assessment of the drivers of and outlook for zinc demand.
9:00 AM Plenary
Developing a Sustainable Global Lead Battery Value Chain: Andy Bush1; 1International Lead Association
Operating responsibly and helping to ensure appropriate management of the materials we produce is critical to meeting society’s increasing demands that materials are used responsibly, safely and sustainably. Lead-based batteries represent the vast majority of global demand for lead spanning a wide range of automotive and industrial applications. Their high collection and recycling rate in the developed world is an environmental success story making this battery chemistry one of the most sustainable by meeting the demands of a circular economy. However the industry is not without its challenges. This presentation we will report on a major new global initiative by the lead and lead battery industries to apply materials stewardship and responsible sourcing principles to the lead battery value chain. The programme is aiming to further enhance the reputation of these industries by adopting a common set of guiding principles, establishing continuous improvement goals and supporting low and middle income countries through sharing expertise on the environmentally responsible management of lead.
9:30 AM Plenary
Regional Changes in Refined Zinc Output and Demand: Claire Hassall1; 1CHR Metals Ltd
Global refined zinc output has increased from 8.9Mt in 2000 to around 11.8Mt in 2019, an increase of almost 3Mt. Only 530kt of this increase occurred outside China, while China’s output increased by over 2.4Mt. The major expansion in China’s refined zinc production capacity took place in the ten years to 2010, with some further moderate increase to 2016, but there has been a net decrease in capacity since then.. Refined zinc usage globally increased from 8.9Mt in 2000 to 12.2Mt in 2019, an increase of 3.3Mt, but China accounted for more than this total increase, effectively taking away zinc demand from the rest of world. However, China’s share of global zinc demand is now changing as its economy matures and, in the last 3 years, China’s demand for zinc has stagnated at best, and in some years has fallen significantly. Higher costs, more extensive and better enforced environmental regulations and the effect of trade disputes have seen China’s manufacturing industry more constrained, with some Chinese manufacturing companies now basing activities off-shore, and with other countries now better able to compete in world markets than in the initial 10-15 years after China’s entry into the WTO at the end of 2002. The last 9 years have seen 13 zinc smelters outside China close, with the loss of close to 1Mt of capacity. The last greenfield zinc smelter ex-China was commissioned in 2010, and capacity expansions have taken place at a number of plants, notably in South Korea, Mexico, India and Norway, compensating for capacity losses, but not adding to capacity overall. The next 5 years are expected to see growth in refined zinc demand concentrated in countries other than China, with South-Eastern and South Asian countries leading the way. This raises the question of where and how the additional requirement for refined zinc will be met and whether China will play any role in supplying zinc to these expanding markets. This presentation will provide an analysis of recent regional changes in zinc demand and supply as outlined above and examine the prospects for future zinc demand and the potential sources of additional refined zinc output globally.
10:00 AM Question and Answer Period
10:30 AM Break