Glencore denies plans to close the Horne Smelter in Rouyn-Noranda and the CCR refinery in Montreal East, as reported Monday by Reuters.
Citing two sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reports that the Anglo-Swiss multinational intends to close both facilities, but no date has yet been set.
Environmental concerns and the substantial sums required to modernize the site are said to explain Glencore’s decision to close the Horne Smelter, according to the sources who spoke to Reuters.
For its part, Glencore Canada maintains that it “is not considering closing the Horne Smelter or the CCR refinery.”
In a statement issued by its Director of Media Relations, Fabrice de Dongo, the company maintains that it continues to implement its emissions reduction plan “by advancing studies and other work.”
Recognizing that smelters “face enormous pressures worldwide, both financially and in terms of regulations and operations,” the company says it is working “closely with all stakeholders to chart a course for preserving Horne Smelter’s current smelting operations in Canada.”
Glencore Canada notes that Horne Smelter and the CCR refinery “play an important role in supplying essential raw materials to the North American and international markets.”
Horne Smelter has been at the center of several controversies in recent years, particularly regarding its contaminant discharges.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
