Reuters reported that US based Horsehead Corporation, which recently idled one of six operating furnaces at its zinc refinery in Pennsylvania, may restart the facility at the end of 2009.

Mr James Hensler president of Horsehead Corp said that the Monaca plant had been on course to produce about 150,000 short tons of zinc this year before the furnace closure. He added that "We hope to go back to six furnaces towards the end of next year."

Horsehead said in early September 2008 that it planned to reduce output by closing the furnace and cutting the amount of high cost secondary feedstock in a bid to boost profitability. As part of the move Horsehead, a subsidiary of Horsehead Holding Corporation, will increase the amount of electric arc furnace dust it uses as feed.

Mr Hensler said that the reduction in purchased feed would save the company between USD 5 to USD 10 million a year, depending on various factors, including the zinc price and how much material it was able to convert. He added that plans to expand capacity at Monaca had been put on hold for now in light of the global financial crisis because it did not make sense. But capital expenditure on its recycling activities continued to make sense, because the investment was related to cost-cutting.

Mr Hensler said that general galvanizing demand had been fairly steady, but would depend on infrastructure spending levels.
He saw some slowdown in demand from the tyre sector.