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Glencore Nordenham in figures

key figures

  • over

    170,000

    tons of zinc and zinc alloys

  • over

    95,000

    tons of lead

  • over

    300,000

    tons of sulphuric acid

  • over

    800

    employees

We are Glencore Nordenham

Glencore is one of the world's leading raw materials companies and a shareholder in Nordenham Metall GmbH and Nordenhamer Zinkhütte GmbH. Glencore has developed a concept for the site that involves the extensive integration of the two companies to create a high-performance production site for zinc and lead. Together, we are more flexible and innovative. 

People are at the centre of everything we do. That's why safety and sustainability are priorities for us: we take our responsibilities to our people, to society and to the environment seriously, and we work to improve our social and environmental performance. For more information, see our latest Sustainability Report.

Familiar, social and safe
We are currently in a phase of change: from a traditional company to a modern non-ferrous metal producer in Europe. This does not change our core values: We are an inclusive and social company. We support our employees and help them with their problems. We are involved in society in many ways and work actively to reduce our impact on the environment. 
We want to offer our employees a safe workplace and a good livelihood. That's why we attach great importance to occupational safety: our employees should come to work healthy and go home healthy again. We pay according to the collective agreement of the metal and electrical industry and offer numerous benefits above the collective agreement. 
We are Glencore Nordenham!

Part of the Glencore Group
Nordenham Metall GmbH has been part of the Glencore Group since 2021, and the zinc smelter since 2013. 

Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 commodities that advance everyday life.

Founded in the 1970s as a trading company, we have grown to become a major producer and marketer of commodities with around 150,000 employees and contractors and a strong footprint in over 35 countries in both established and emerging regions for natural resources.

Glencore's customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, battery manufacturing and oil sectors. We also provide financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities.

Our Purpose is to responsibly source the commodities that advance everyday life. We want to bring about long-term growth and opportunity for all our stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, employees, and the communities and countries in which we operate.

People are at the heart of our business. That’s why we prioritise safety at all our assets; why we seek to minimise our impacts on the environment and communities; and why we aim to attract employees who strive to be leaders in their field.

    • The companies

    About Nordenham Metall

    Lead has been produced at our Nordenham site since 1912. This makes us not only a traditional lead smelter but also one of the oldest active lead smelters in Europe to this day. More than 100,000 tons of primary and secondary lead are produced on average at Nordenham Metall every year. But our future does not lie in lead alone.
    In the coming years, Nordenham Metall GmbH will complete its transformation into a modern polymetallic smelter. In addition to the recycling of lead battery reprocessing products, processing will also extend to lower-lead zinc production residues and more complex composite materials. The goal is to recover not only the base metal, but also associated metals such as copper, silver, gold, antimony, bismuth, and so on. Many input materials and products will successively expand the portfolio of our company. 

    Recycling process
    With our new reduction furnace, which went into operation in 2018, our lead smelter can increase its use of secondary materials to up to 80%. 
    This furnace makes us one of the most modern recycling companies in the lead industry.

    • About Nordenhamer Zinkhütte

    The Nordenham Zinc Smelter plant was completed in 1908, the same year that the town of Nordenham was founded. The zinc smelter still has ties with the town today.

    At that time many new jobs were created and from 80 people in the year of foundation the workforce grew to 750 employees in 1914. The production volume was about 4,000 tons of zinc. The thermal process with horizontal muffles was used for zinc production and was the industrial standard until well into the 1960s. 

    Despite world wars, economic crises, strikes and natural disasters, the zinc smelter managed to survive. The number of employees, which had decreased during the crises, increased and in 1956 there were again 850 employees working at the plant. The zinc smelter was the largest employer in Nordenham. The number of muffles was increased and 25,000 tons of zinc were produced. In addition, workers from southern Europe were actively recruited in the following years.

    In 1972, the zinc smelter was able to take off with a new modern plant. Working conditions improved continuously and environmental protection began to play a more important role. Zinc production was quadrupled by switching to zinc electrolysis. Certain equipment, such as the fluidized bed furnace, was developed specifically for the zinc smelter.

    In 2013, Nordenham Zinc Smelter became part of the Glencore Group. With the strength of an international company, we still have deep regional roots today. Around 165,000 tons of zinc are now produced per year. Occupational safety has become a core corporate objective. Great improvements have been made, bringing us closer to our goal of having zero work-related injuries. We aim to increase the sustainability of our industrial operations. For more information, see our latest Climate and Sustainability Reports.

    We now have around 400 employees, some of whom are the fourth generation to work for us.