Nyrstar NV will revive its Middle Tennessee zinc mining operations in Tennessee, which were put into care and maintenance in December 2015.

The company deems the current zinc prices strong enough to warrant the restart of three mines and a processing plant.

"The cash flow will be generated from higher zinc prices, and from increasing Nyrstar's flexibility to optimize the feed book across the company," it said Sept. 27.

Nyrstar plans to start ore production during the first quarter of 2017, mill processing in the second quarter of 2017, and the full capacity of 50,000 tonnes per annum of zinc-in-concentrate is expected to be reached by November 2017.

The capital costs of the restart are estimated to be about US$14 million, to occur over 12 months until the mill is at full production.

Nyrstar added its strategy of divesting mining assets has not changed and an ongoing mine divestment process will continue.