Vale Base Metals announced Wednesday there are plans to move forward with the dismantling of the iconic superstack and the copperstack at the company's Copper Cliff Smelter Complex.
Taking down the structures will not happen overnight. Company officials expect the process will take about five years, said a company news release.
The taller structure, the superstack, is 381 metres (1,250 feet) tall and has become a worldwide symbol of Sudbury and the nickel mining industry.
“The superstack and copperstack have been iconic landmarks in Greater Sudbury for decades,” said Gord Gilpin, Director of Ontario Operations for VBM.
“While we appreciate that the city’s landscape will look different after these structures are dismantled, our business has evolved and improved over time and this project is part of that evolution. We are modernizing our facilities and reducing our environmental footprint and, in so doing, laying the groundwork to ensure that our next century of mining in Sudbury is as successful as our first 100 years," said Gilpin in the release.
The Clean AER Project has enabled VBM’s Sudbury Operations to eliminate 100,000 metric tonnes of sulfur dioxide emissions each year (equivalent to 1,000 railway tanker cars of sulphuric acid), bringing emissions down to 30 per cent below the provincial standard, said the company release.
The superstack has been inactive since 2020, symbolizing Vale's significant progress toward cleaner air and a healthier environment, the release continued.
Vale said the dismantling of the two stacks will be spread over multiple years and will be done according to strict safety protocols. Minimizing disruptions to the neighbouring community will also be a priority, said Vale.
The copperstack will be taken down first and it is expected that it will be completed by 2025. Work to dismantle the superstack is expected to follow and take about five years, said the company.
The superstack was created by Inco Ltd. and went into full operation in 1972. The stack was created as a pollution abatement measure to disseminate the SO2 emissions that were part of the local atmosphere over Sudbury for decades.
The cost of the structure in 1970 terms was estimated at $25 million.
The company said more details of the dismantling project can be found on the company website.
