Glencore’s Horne smelter 2027 closure risk: investment and emissions lens for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
Glencore has frozen nearly C$1 billion of planned investment at its 100‑year‑old Horne copper smelter in Rouyn‑Noranda, including C$300 million earmarked for emissions‑reduction upgrades, after failing to secure a regulatory framework with the Quebec government. Without these projects, the smelter will be unable to meet new emissions limits taking effect from March 2027, forcing a review of the site’s future and signalling a potential closure. Capital spending at Glencore’s CCR copper refinery in Montreal will also be scaled back over the medium term.
Technical Brief
- Glencore said it was prepared to invest almost C$1 billion at Horne over five years, including C$300 million for emissions reduction.
- Despite sustained negotiations with Quebec dating back to mid-2025, the regulatory framework needed to justify the planned investments is “not sufficiently in place,” Glencore said.
- Without completing the planned investments, it will become impossible for the smelter to meet certain emissions targets that come into effect starting in March 2027, Glencore said.
- Investments at Glencore’s CCR copper refinery in Montreal will also be scaled back over the medium term, the company said.
- Management messaging focuses on job protection and continuity of operations, subject to an acceptable regulatory agreement.
Our Take
The standoff over the Horne copper smelter comes just days after coverage of Glencore’s 11% drop in 2025 copper output, suggesting closure in Quebec would further tighten a portfolio already under grade and operational pressure.
In our database, the earlier 30 January piece on Horne highlighted Quebec’s strict arsenic limits, so any failure to reach a deal by the March 2027 emissions deadline would signal to other Canadian base‑metal operators that legacy plants face limited regulatory forbearance.
With copper one of the most frequently flagged commodities in recent Mining coverage, the potential loss of a Canadian smelting and refining route at Horne and CCR could push more North American concentrates and scrap into longer export chains, raising logistics and ESG costs for regional miners and recyclers.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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