KEY POINTS
- Glencore has completed the production shaft at its Onaping Depth project, reaching a high-grade nickel and copper orebody nearly 2,600 metres underground.
- The nearly $2 billion project is expected to create more than 400 permanent jobs and extend nickel production in Sudbury beyond 2040.
- The mine will use battery-electric equipment, automation and remote operations to reduce emissions and improve safety and efficiency.
Glencore has reached a major milestone in the development of its Onaping Depth project at the Craig Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, after completing the mine’s production shaft and reaching the high-grade nickel and copper orebody.
The milestone, achieved on August 27, 2026, brings the nearly $2 billion project closer to production and marks an important step in Glencore’s plans to develop one of the world’s deepest and most technologically advanced underground mines.
The newly completed production shaft provides direct access to the Onaping Depth orebody, located almost 2,600 metres below the surface.
The shaft was constructed from the bottom of the existing Craig Mine and now links the underground workings with the new orebody. Initial mining areas have also been prepared, allowing Glencore to begin ore extraction activities as the project progresses towards full production.
The Onaping Depth development represents an investment of almost $2 billion since 2019 and is the first new mine to be developed in the Sudbury Basin in more than 10 years.
Glencore expects the project to be completed in 2027 as production is gradually increased.
Project expected to create more than 400 permanent jobs
Once fully operational, Onaping Depth is expected to support more than 400 permanent jobs and help extend nickel production in the Sudbury region beyond 2040.
The project has also generated significant employment during its construction phase, with approximately 7,000 jobs created.
The mine is expected to produce high-grade nickel and copper, two minerals considered increasingly important to the global energy transition and battery supply chains.
The development is therefore expected to strengthen Glencore’s long-term presence in the Sudbury Basin while contributing to Canada’s efforts to expand domestic production of critical minerals.
Mine designed around battery-electric technology
One of the defining features of the Onaping Depth project is its planned use of an entirely battery-electric underground mining fleet.
The equipment will be used for drilling, ore extraction and underground support, eliminating the need for conventional diesel-powered machinery in the mining operation.
Glencore expects the switch from diesel equipment to battery-electric technology to significantly reduce underground emissions while also lowering the ventilation and cooling requirements associated with diesel machinery.
The mine will additionally use automation and remote-operation technologies to improve operational efficiency and worker safety.
Glencore Canada Chief Operating Officer Peter Xavier said the combination of battery-electric equipment, automation and remote operations demonstrates how technology can help shape the next generation of mining.
Government supports low-carbon mining technology
The Canadian federal government has provided up to $11 million through its Decarbonization Incentive Program to support the deployment of low-carbon technologies at the project.
Glencore says the use of battery-electric equipment and other advanced technologies will help reduce the environmental footprint of underground mining while supporting Canada’s broader net-zero objectives.
With the production shaft now completed and the orebody reached, the focus will shift towards increasing mining activity and preparing the project for its targeted 2027 completion.
The development could ultimately serve as a model for deeper, more automated and lower-emission underground mining, particularly as demand for nickel and copper grows alongside the global transition towards electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery storage.
