OJSC Electrozinc, the second-largest industrial metallurgy enterprise in Russia, plans to resume zinc production at its plant in North Ossetia after operations were suspended following a fire on October 21 that killed one person and injured three more.“We are considering the possibility of restoring the electrolysis shop. According to preliminary estimates, this may take 6-8 months,” a spokesman for the plant’s owner, Ural Mining & Metallurgical Co (UMMC), told Fastmarkets. “To start this work, it is necessary to assess the damage, to carry out all the technical calculations and to draw up a plan of work,” he added. The total amount of production that will be lost throughout this has not been specified. Due to the exceptional circumstances, however, other sources have told Fastmarkets that restoring the plant will take more time than UMMC believes. “I have been talking with Russian producers and there is a long way to go – definitely more than 7-8 months,” a European trader said. “We will not see material from OJSC Electrozinc for a long time.” The plant produced zinc ingots, cadmium and sulfuric acid before operations were suspended after the fire.
