London 25/02/2016 - Zinc producer Padaeng Industry Public Co Ltd will close its Tak zinc refinery in Thailand by the end of 2017 due to the depletion of its Mae Sod mine, several industry sources told FastMarkets.
"We got a letter from them saying that the refinery will be shut down by the end of next year," a customer of Padaeng said.
"The closure is due to the depletion of [Mae Sod's] mining reserves at the end of 2016," a company source added.
Padaeng produced 70,000 tonnes of zinc ingots and alloys in 2015, with 50 percent of its raw material supply coming from imported concentrates.
Its special high-grade zinc ingots have been a LME-registered brand since 1989.
The company also operates a roaster plant in Rayong province; production of zinc metal and alloys is focused on the domestic Thai market.
(Edited by Mark Shaw)