Noranda to spend $16 million to “green” Horne

Noranda (NRD-T) says it plans to invest more than $16 million to reduce sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and particulate emissions from its Horne copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.

The company wants to reduce SO₂ emissions by 90%, up from the current level of 80%, and improve dust emissions and ambient air quality in the community. Improvements include recovering SO₂ gases and particulate emissions from the smelter’s converters, upping the efficiency of the sulphuric acid plant, and enhancing ventilation systems. Construction should be completed by fall 2002.

The Noranda continuous converter at Horne began operating in 1997 and improved 20₂ fixation to more than 70% in 1998, besting government requirements. By 2002, when the second stage of the project will be completed, fixation will be greater than 90%.

“This announcement represents the completion of more than a decade of continuous investments amounting to more than $260 million in environmental control technology at the smelter,” said David Rodier, Noranda’s senior vice president, Environment, Safety and Health. “This will enable us to meet our environmental commitments to the community and to the government.”

The Horne custom copper and recycling smelter, the largest and most advanced recycling plant of its kind in North America, processed 702,000 tonnes of copper concentrates, 86,000 tonnes of recycled precious metal-bearing materials, 182,000 tonnes of anode copper and 550,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid during 2000. The operation employs more than 800 people.