Another brick in the wall to keep smelter in shape
By Industry Queensland
Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines (MIM) has ticked off one part of its latest copper smelter rebricking program, with further works to come later this year and in early 2027.
The business completed maintenance work, including replacing the lining of Refractory Holding Furnace No. 1 (RHF1), during recent smelter downtime lasting about four months.
This was brought on by a lack of feed (copper concentrate) in the wake of a record-breaking wet season across North-West Queensland.
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Glencore said the smelter rebricking project would continue later in the year, when the rebrick of RHF2 will take place, followed by the ISASMELT furnace in early 2027.
The smelter rebricking project forms part of Glencore’s agreement with the Federal and Queensland governments, which late last year agreed to pitch in up to $600 million to help keep the company’s Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville refinery running for another three years.
Twenty specialist refractory bricklayers were brought in to assist with placing 29,500 bricks weighing 242 tonnes at RHF1 during the recent overhaul.
They were joined by riggers, fitters, boilermakers, electricians, spotters and crane operators from local contracting teams in addition to Glencore’s own workforce.
Refractory bricks form part of the furnaces that heat up copper concentrate to purify it into molten copper for casting into anodes.
These furnaces operate at temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Celsius, and over time the heat and process conditions erode the bricks.
Glencore Queensland Metallurgical Operations general manager Richard Harvey said all teams did an exceptional job and the work was completed injury-free.
“We’re proud to have kept our smelter and refinery workforce on site and productive over the past four months of the smelter shutdown. I’m proud of the resilience, innovation and hard work they’ve displayed to turn a difficult situation into an opportunity,” Mr Harvey said.
The smelter came back online at the end of April.
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