Our history
CCR Refinery has evolved greatly over the past 90 years. Our first challenge was to face the aftermath of the American stock market crash of 1929—we got through those hard times thanks to our strong ability to adapt. And all the years since have been rich with learning opportunities, teaching us that nothing is ever too complex. Today, we use ultra-specialized processes to produce the metals that are an integral part of our daily work.
Historical milestones
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1930
Plant construction begins
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1931
First electrorefining cycle starts up in March
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1934
First facilities for the recovery of selenium and tellurium installed
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1938
Tankhouse expanded to achieve a refining capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes of copper per year
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1945
Copper sulfate plant built
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1952
New tellurium plant starts up
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1966
Tankhouse expanded a second time to boost production capacity to 350,000 metric tonnes of copper per year, making CCR Refinery the world’s second largest copper refinery
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1977
Nickel sulfate manufacturing begins
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1981
New, automated anode slime washing and stacking equipment installed
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1988
Top-blown rotary converter (TBRC) for processing anode slime commissioned
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1991
Anode preparation machine (APM) installed
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1996
Permanent Cathode Upgrade (PCU) project begins, a major modernization program to reduce operating costs and make the Company more competitive on the global stage
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1999
Antimony-bismuth removal plant commissioned
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2000
PCU project finalized, making the Company the most automated refinery of its kind in the world
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2006
Entire process for treating higher-nickel-content anodes revised
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2013
Glencore acquires Xstrata: CCR Refinery becomes part of one of the world’s largest diversified natural resource conglomerates
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2018
New Furnace 8 dust removal system commissioned