Québec Passes Bill Supporting Horne Smelter Operations, Allowing Glencore to Resume Environmental Investments

Published: Jun 15, 2026 10:03
Glencore Canada has welcomed the Québec government's passage of Bill 11, which establishes a stable regulatory framework for the Horne Smelter through 2033. The legislation extends the timeline for compliance with stricter arsenic emission standards, providing greater certainty for ongoing operations and investment planning. As a result, Glencore plans to gradually resume approximately C$300 million in environmental improvement projects that had previously been placed on hold due to regulatory uncertainty. The company said these projects are expected to position the Horne Smelter among the world's leading copper smelters in terms of environmental performance. Horne remains Canada's only operating copper smelter and plays a strategic role in the country's critical minerals and refining supply chain.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Qingyuan Xiangzhan Metal Trading Co., Ltd. supports SMM in creating the "2026 Global Secondary Copper Industry Distribution Map"
13 mins ago
Qingyuan Xiangzhan Metal Trading Co., Ltd. supports SMM in creating the "2026 Global Secondary Copper Industry Distribution Map"
Read More
Qingyuan Xiangzhan Metal Trading Co., Ltd. supports SMM in creating the "2026 Global Secondary Copper Industry Distribution Map"
Qingyuan Xiangzhan Metal Trading Co., Ltd. supports SMM in creating the "2026 Global Secondary Copper Industry Distribution Map"
13 mins ago
Copper Foil Operating Rates Rise in May 2026, Driven by Energy Storage and AI Demand
14 mins ago
Copper Foil Operating Rates Rise in May 2026, Driven by Energy Storage and AI Demand
Read More
Copper Foil Operating Rates Rise in May 2026, Driven by Energy Storage and AI Demand
Copper Foil Operating Rates Rise in May 2026, Driven by Energy Storage and AI Demand
[SMM Copper Foil Monthly Operating Rate] In May 2026, the electronic circuit copper foil operating rate was 89.57%, up 1.14 percentage points MoM and up 13.96 percentage points YoY; the lithium battery copper foil operating rate was 90.68%, up 0.25 percentage points MoM and up 20.29 percentage points YoY. Affected by the grid connection deadline (June 30), energy storage projects experienced concentrated installation rush, together with high production schedules of power batteries, leading to steady release of lithium battery copper foil demand. Robust demand from the AI computing power industry drove the industry capacity upgrade toward high-end specifications, effectively boosting electronic circuit copper foil demand.
14 mins ago
China's Copper Foil Enterprises See Increased Operating Rates in May 2026
14 mins ago
China's Copper Foil Enterprises See Increased Operating Rates in May 2026
Read More
China's Copper Foil Enterprises See Increased Operating Rates in May 2026
China's Copper Foil Enterprises See Increased Operating Rates in May 2026
[SMM Copper Foil Monthly Operating Rate] In May 2026, the overall operating rate of copper foil enterprises in China was 90.31%, up 0.56 percentage points MoM and up 18.15 percentage points YoY. Among them, the operating rate of large enterprises was 93.38%, medium-sized enterprises 74.88%, and small enterprises 79.85%.
14 mins ago
Glencore Canada has welcomed the Québec government's passage of Bill 1 - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)