Inco closes copper refinery.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: MINING

Inco will be closing its Sudbury copper refinery by year's end.

The nickel giant announced May 20 it is closing its 70-year-old Copper Cliff refinery operation in west end Sudbury and has signed a deal with an undisclosed Canadian company to refine Inco copper.

Inco spokesman Cory McPhee says the refined copper coming from ores mined in the Sudbury Basin will likely be shipped out of province.

"Simply put, we've got an old plant with old technology, and it's very small, producing 115,000 tonnes of copper cathode annually. Most of our competitors produce between 350,000 and 500,000 tonnes a year.

"Our costs are very high and we're physically constrained."

McPhee says the plant's 140 unionized workers will be transferred to other parts of the Sudbury operation.

"We know with the attrition rate we've experienced, we can absorb the remainder of the employees at the refinery into other areas."

The United Steelworkers Union wanted the refinery left open and campaigned for Inco to make the investment for major capital upgrades.

"Inco owes it to the community to invest in upgrading the Copper Cliff refinery and to maintain employment."

The Steelworkers say the refinery, which employs 140, is in need of major upgrades.

Nickel Belt MPP Shelley Martel also weighed in, asking the McGuinty government to intervene and require Inco to refine Sudbury ore within...