Zinc miners: we need to talk about lead smelters

The dynamic between zinc mining and zinc smelting is a clear and obvious one, however, the relationship between zinc miners and lead smelters in frequently overlooked. In a changing global environment in which primary lead smelters are facing increased competition from secondary smelters and ever more stringent environmental oversight the long-term future of primary lead smelters is something that the world's zinc miners should view as being of strategic importance. In this insight we consider the cost structure of the lead smelting industry and some of the challenges facing primary lead smelters and as a consequence zinc miners.