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Mt Isa smelter to continue operating to 2022

11th November 2015

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

  

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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Swiss-listed diversified miner Glencore and the Queensland state government have finalised new environmental licensing conditions to allow the Mt Isa copper smelter to operate until the end of 2022.

As a result, Glencore this week announced that both the Mt Isa smelter and Townsville copper refinery would remain open beyond their respective planned closure dates of 2016 and 2017.

Glencore North Queensland copper assets COO Mike Westerman said the decision followed more than 12 months of internal work and consultation with government, community stakeholders and environment and health experts to determine a responsible and economically sustainable future for the asset extension, which ultimately secured 800 direct jobs across the business’s North Queensland supply chain.

Westerman said Glencore was committed to continuing copper smelting operations in Mount Isa for as long as these activities remained economically viable.

“It makes us very proud to have secured a path forward for the copper smelter that balances our environmental obligations with sustaining jobs for our people and the economic realities of operating a metallurgical processing asset in Australia in today’s market.”

He noted that, in light of the current market conditions, a continued focus on increasing cost efficiencies and reducing waste was critical to maintaining the sustainability of the Mount Isa operations.

“The best thing we can do for our community is to operate a safe, environmentally responsible and efficient business that meets community expectations and can compete in the global marketplace.

“This was not a simple decision to make and we were committed to approaching it in the right way to ensure a responsible, sustainable outcome that our business and our community could stand behind,” Westerman said.

Glencore would now continue with ongoing discussions with the Queensland government to secure agreeable rates to transport its product to market, post 2016.

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed Glencore’s decision to remain operational at the Mt Isa smelter and Townsville refinery until 2022, saying it secured several hundred jobs in the region.

“Glencore is a major economic contributor to the north-west region of Queensland and both the copper smelter in Mount Isa and the refinery in Townsville provide direct and indirect jobs, as well as a broader benefit to local businesses and community organisations,” QRC CEO Michael Roche said.

“The slump in commodity prices has resulted in many jobs being lost so it’s heartening to be able to welcome some good news of jobs being preserved and extended in the long term.

“What this shows is that when you combine a good viable mineral resource, a well-run asset, a sound business case and add in political goodwill backed by government action, we can achieve a good outcome for all parties.”

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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