Reuters reported that Shenzhen Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet plans to build a lead smelter and a zinc smelter each with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year.

Mr Yi Jian chief engineer of Shenzhen Zhongjin said that company was capable of producing 500,000 tonnes of lead and zinc currently. The firm's Shaoguan lead and zinc smelter in Guangdong province has capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year, two thirds of which is for zinc.

The Shaoguan smelter has been shut since October 21 to comply with a provincial government pollution investigation with no indication when it may reopen.

Mr Yi said that Zhongjin built Dan Xia zinc smelter, also in Guangdong, last year which has the ability to produce 150,000 tonnes of metal annually. The firm was now working on a project to build a 100,000 tonnes a year lead smelter next to Dan Xia without providing the completion time.

He said that the firm also planned to form a joint venture to build a 100,000 tonnes per year zinc smelter in the southwestern region of Guangxi.

(Sourced from Reuters)