This is a great first for the Nyrstar zinc refinery in Auby (Nord). The company is forced to cease production from Sunday evening January 23 for a minimum of three weeks. This refinery, which consumes as much electricity as the city of Lyon, is facing an explosion in energy prices. The megawatt hour costs six times more today than a year ago (250 euros against 40 euros), and the company loses more money by continuing production.
End of December 2021, the management had already planned to stop production at the beginning of January for a period of two months. Eventually, it was able to maintain reduced production by purchasing blocks of electricity each week as needed. A management “weekly“Not tenable, explains the company, which has postponed this closure which should therefore last less time than expected.
No partial unemployment for employees
zThe 300 or so employees of the northern site, the last zinc manufacturer in the country, are not going to stop working. No partial unemployment or imposed leave system is planned, assures the management. The teams will work on securing the installations, which should last around ten days, but also on maintenance work.
Others will still participate in training sessions, initially scheduled for other times of the year. There will therefore be no loss of wages to be expected, and management optimistic for spring recovery.
Long-term concerns
The government has asked EDF to increase the Arenh (regulated access to historical nuclear electricity) by 20%, i.e. ensure a greater volume of electricity sold at a reduced price for electro-intensive companies like Nyrstar. On Friday, Industry Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher was at Aluminum Dunkirk, another major consumer in the region, to reassure the sector.
But if these one-off aids are welcomed by professionals, great concern persists over the issue of long-term electricity supply, with growing uncertainties about the stability of energy prices.