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Horne Smelter

Quebec copper industry

The Quebec copper industry - At a glance

  • 3,287

    direct and indirect jobs in Quebec

  • $227M

    payroll

  • $409M

    in the procurement of goods and services annually

  • 43%

    of goods and services expenditures in Quebec

  • $848.1M

    in value added in Québec

Glencore’s copper division assets in Quebec consist of the Horne Smelter, located in Rouyn-Noranda, and the CCR Refinery in Montréal-Est. These integrated companies represent the copper industry in Quebec—an industry that produces substantial economic benefits for the province. The Horne Smelter and CCR Refinery alone generate $848.1 million of Quebec’s gross domestic product (GDP) annually.

The Quebec copper industry: vital to modern life

Quebec’s copper industry will play a primary role over the coming years as the transition to green energies ramps up the demand for copper. Demand is predicted to increase by 1.0 T/year to 60.1 T in 2050—50% greater than in 2019.

In addition to copper cathodes, Glencore’s Quebec copper division produces strategic metals and chemicals like selenium, tellurium dioxide, nickel sulfate, and a platinum and palladium concentrate as well as precious metals like gold and silver.

Recycling centers

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    The copper sector includes two recycling centers located in East Providence, Rhode Island, and San Jose, California. These facilities process various types of recycled materials, including:
    • End-of-life electrical cables
    • Obsolete electronic and computer equipment
    • Industrial waste containing recoverable metals

    These waste materials are sampled and undergo various preliminary treatments before being sent to the Horne Smelter.

    The Horne Smelter

    Located in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, the Horne Smelter is responsible for the smelting of copper concentrates and recyclable materials after their preliminary treatments. Its distinctive metallurgical process, developed locally over the years, provides it with great flexibility in processing inputs. The copper anodes produced are then shipped to the CCR refinery for final refining.

    CCR Refinery

    Located in Montreal-Est, Quebec, the CCR refinery carries out the final stages of copper processing, where anodes from the Horne Smelter are refined through an electrolytic process. This process produces industrial-grade copper with a purity of 99.99% and also contributes to the recovery of significant quantities of precious and critical metals, positioning the CCR refinery as a key player in the production of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, tellurium, and nickel sulfate.

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