Copper processing – Request for Information

Canada is a leading copper producer, yet nearly all copper concentrate mined in Western Canada is exported overseas for processing. In addition to maintaining the competitiveness of Canada’s existing domestic copper processing capacity, the Government of Canada is looking to increase the competitiveness of Canada’s copper processing capacity and to extend our domestic value addition. To this end, stakeholder perspectives are being sought to assess the feasibility and possible location of establishing a smelter and refinery in Western Canada.

Purpose

Midstream copper facilities are strategic assets supporting Canada’s economic security. The objective of this Request for Information (RFI) is to explore the economic viability, strategic value, and potential geographic sites for a copper processing facility, including a smelter and refinery, in Western Canada. A new copper processing facility in Western Canada would be the second in the country, after Glencore’s Horne Smelter and Canadian Copper Refinery in Quebec.

Background – Opportunities

The Government of Canada views midstream critical minerals infrastructure as strategic national assets, strengthening Canada’s economic, energy, and national security. Midstream assets – including mineral processing facilities, refineries, and smelters – are essential to securing Canada’s supply chains and transforming raw materials into the advanced inputs needed for clean energy, defence, digital infrastructure, and next-generation manufacturing.

Copper processing capacity in Western Canada could be a strategic asset. A second domestic smelter and refinery could process concentrate from Canadian mines and supply refined copper across multiple jurisdictions. This would strengthen the resiliency of domestic value chains and partnerships with allies. It would also stimulate complementary industries such as energy system infrastructure, construction, and batteries.

New processing capacity would diversify midstream destinations for copper mined in Western Canada. Almost all the copper mined in British Columbia is exported for smelting and refining overseas. Logistical and capacity constraints limit the ability of Western Canadian mines to ship copper to Quebec for processing. A new facility would diversify copper processing capacity and reduce Canada’s exposure to supply chain disruptions.

In addition to efforts to increase the competitiveness of Canada’s existing copper smelting and refining capacity, new copper processing capacity in Canada could increase the secure supply of refined copper for export amidst growing demand fueled by the clean energy transition. The International Energy Agency projects a 30% increase in the global demand for refined copper by 2040, driven by energy and digital economy transitions.

Background – Risks

Current global overcapacity of copper processing could be a challenge to the economic feasibility and competitiveness of a new smelter/refinery in Canada. Treatment charges – the fees miners pay to smelters – have fallen to historically low levels, undermining the economic viability of developing new assets in the immediate term.

In addition, Canada needs to secure reliable feedstock for a new smelter/refinery while ensuring sufficient feedstock to maintain existing smelting and refining capacity. Canada currently exports both copper ore and refined copper but also imports copper ore and copper-containing e-waste. A new smelter/refinery may necessitate increased foreign supply of copper feedstock, including from Canadian-owned mining assets abroad, to supplement domestic production. Global competition for raw copper feedstock has led to supply bottlenecks; changes in the global trade environment may impact Canada’s access to both reliable feedstock supply and export markets.

Social license concerns and international cross-border regulations may present barriers for a new copper processing project. Copper smelting could face social opposition due to its emissions of heavy metals (namely, arsenic and lead). In addition, cross-border regulations, such as the Basel Convention, may limit access to international e-waste feedstock.

Eligibility

This RFI welcomes respondents from domestic and international industry, investors, traders, Crown Corporations, government agencies, First Nations and Indigenous organizations, academia, not-for-profit organizations, research organizations, and others with experience and interest in copper mining, smelting and/or refining.

How to respond

We invite stakeholders to provide feedback on the potential for copper smelting and refining in Western Canada. Based on your area of expertise, please respond to as many questions as possible in the RFI response form. The form is organized around 6 thematic areas for your consideration:

Economic and strategic value and viability
Domestic and international supply chain factors
Potential costs and funding or ownership options
Technological and environmental considerations
Suitable geographic locations and host jurisdictions
Integration with recycling and circular economy opportunities

Respond now using the RFI form

After you respond

Thank you for your submission to this RFI. Your insights will support internal analysis to assess the feasibility and potential location of a copper smelter and refinery in Western Canada. All responses will be anonymized and aggregated as part of the assessment process conducted by the Government of Canada. Responses will also be shared with the governments of British Columbia and Alberta for their independent analysis. A brief summary of findings will be shared at a later date.

If you wish to provide additional materials or documents in support of your response, or if you have a proposal to build a copper smelter and refinery in Western Canada, please share these documents with the Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence at Natural Resources Canada (cmce-cemc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca).

Contact us

For questions regarding this RFI, please contact the Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence at: cmce-cemc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Disclaimer

Please note this is solely a request for information and does not represent formal consultation for a current or future funding opportunity. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is not obligated to respond directly or indirectly to any of the issues submitted under an RFI.

NRCan will not reimburse any respondent for expenses incurred in responding. Respondents will have no claim for damages, compensation, loss of profit, or allowance arising out of providing comments in response to the RFI.

Please do not include any information you consider proprietary or confidential. NRCan will handle the responses in accordance with the Access to Information Act.

This RFI is an initiative led by the Government of Canada, with support from the governments of British Columbia and Alberta. Responses to the RFI will be shared with other departments within the Government of Canada and with respective provincial government departments.

NRCan may, at its discretion, contact any respondents to follow up with additional questions or for clarification of any aspect of a response.

Privacy notice statement

The Request for Information (RFI) questionnaire is voluntary and the purpose is to explore the economic viability, strategic value, and potential geographic locations for a copper processing facility, including a smelter and refinery, in Western Canada.

The respondent should only provide business related information and business contact information such as representative name, organization, affiliation/industry sector and work email address. If the respondent provides personal information on this questionnaire, NRCan will protect it in accordance with the Privacy Act. The information is collected under the authority of the Department of Natural Resources Act and in accordance with the following personal information banks: Public Communications (PSU 914) and Outreach Activities (PSU 938).

Please note that comments you enter in the feedback text field should not contain any personal or sensitive information and please exercise caution when providing comments to protect your privacy and the privacy of others. If you have any concerns or questions about the handling of your personal information, please contact the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Secretariat at atip-aiprp@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

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