Sun Metals Zinc Refinery is located 15km south of the city of Townsville in North Queensland, Australia.  

The refinery was built in 1996 by Sun Metals Corporation Pty Ltd (Sun Metals), an Australian subsidiary of Korea Zinc Company Limited, the largest zinc, lead and silver producer in the world.  

Sun Metals mission is to be the best zinc refinery in the world by being firstly the safest, the most environmentally responsible and the most competitive, zinc refinery in the world.

Safety being a priority, Sun Metals has focused on continuously improving on the Safety Management systems, processes and culture in achieving the very highest standard of Occupational Health and Safety in all our activities and aspiring to zero harm.

The Sun Metals site is uniquely located to take advantage of its proximity to the Southeast Asian market, abundant raw materials, and skilled labour.

Raw materials are sourced from mines in Australia, Alaska and South America.  Direct access to the Port of Townsville reduces transport costs and lead times for both Sun Metals and its customers.

Sun Metals produces a Special High Grade of Zinc metals which meet stringent quality standards required under its registration at the London Metal Exchange.

Sulphuric acid, although a secondary product, is also an important part of Sun Metals’ production and is sold to clients for use in the production of fertilisers and other industrial uses.

Other by-products such as zinc ferrite and copper are also produced and sold to the international and domestic market.

Sun Metals is situated in close proximity to Cleveland Bay.  The company places a high priority on environmental management and is regarded as the world’s most environmentally responsible producer of low-cost quality zinc product.

As the second largest single site consumer of electricity in Queensland, Sun Metals has a strong focus on being both environmentally responsible and the most competitive zinc refinery in the world.  We are also aiming to become the first refinery in the world to produce green zinc.  By use of the term ‘green zinc’ we mean made entirely from renewable energy.

To realise that mission, Sun Metals has made a commitment to power its entire operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2040, with an interim target of 80% by 2030.  In November 2020, Sun Metals joined the global RE100 initiative, led by the Climate Group in partnership with CDP.

In early 2021 our sister company Ark Energy Corporation was established by Korea Zinc to decarbonise the energy supply of the group starting with Sun Metals.

Strict environmental controls are applied through the conditions of the site environmental licence in relation to air, water, land, waste and noise management.  Sun Metals use the most environmentally sustainable technology available to meet, and exceed, these requirements. For example, Sun Metals re-uses over 90% of its wastewater, with the rest being evaporated from storage ponds located on the site.

Sun Metals is also committed to the community.  The actual Sun Metals location is also home to a significant aboriginal archaeological site within the adjacent Sandfly Creek Conservation Reserve.  The company works closely with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to protect this site in respect for the significance it represents to local indigenous communities.

Sun Metals is a strong contributor to the local economy.  We employ over 350 staff and contractors, primarily from the local community.  We work with the community and as part of it, through sponsorships, educational tours, community projects and participation.

Our partnership with our sister companies Townsville Logistics and Townsville Marine Logistics, means we have direct access to safe, reliable and innovative transport and stevedoring services, further supporting our mission to be the most competitive zinc refinery in the world.