Our history

CCR Refinery has evolved greatly over the past 90 years. Our first challenge was to face the aftermath of the American stock market crash of 1929—we got through those hard times thanks to our strong ability to adapt. And all the years since have been rich with learning opportunities, teaching us that nothing is ever too complex. Today, we use ultra-specialized processes to produce the metals that are an integral part of our daily work.

Historical milestones

1930

Plant construction begins
1931

First electrorefining cycle starts up in March
1934

First facilities for the recovery of selenium and tellurium installed
1938

Tankhouse expanded to achieve a refining capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes of copper per year

1945

Copper sulfate plant built
1952

New tellurium plant starts up
1966

Tankhouse expanded a second time to boost production capacity to 350,000 metric tonnes of copper per year, making CCR Refinery the world’s second largest copper refinery
1977

Nickel sulfate manufacturing begins

1981

New, automated anode slime washing and stacking equipment installed
1988

Top-blown rotary converter (TBRC) for processing anode slime commissioned
1991

Anode preparation machine (APM) installed
1996

Permanent Cathode Upgrade (PCU) project begins, a major modernization program to reduce operating costs and make the Company more competitive on the global stage

1999

Antimony-bismuth removal plant commissioned
2000

PCU project finalized, making the Company the most automated refinery of its kind in the world
2006

Entire process for treating higher-nickel-content anodes revised
2013

Glencore acquires Xstrata: CCR Refinery becomes part of one of the world’s largest diversified natural resource conglomerates
2018

New Furnace 8 dust removal system commissioned

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