SUDBURY - Vale Base Metals' famous Superstack will disappear from the Sudbury skyline by 2029.
In a Sept. 4 announcement, the nickel miner said it's going ahead with the dismantling of the 1,250-foot chimney and its smaller counterpart, the copperstack — a project that was first announced in 2020.
“The superstack and copperstack have been iconic landmarks in Greater Sudbury for decades,” said Gord Gilpin, Vale Base Metals’ director of Ontario operations, in a news release.
“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.”
During peak construction, 35 workers will be required on site, and the process is expected to take 40,000 labour hours to complete.
Removal of the stacks is the final stage of the $1-billion Clean AER (Atmospheric Emissions Reduction) project, which began in 2012.
At the outset, its stated aim was to reduce Vale's sulfur dioxide emissions by 85 per cent and reduce metal particulate emissions by 40 per cent.
Vale Base Metals explains the process involved in dismantling its coppertsack in the video below:
The project involved the construction of two new converters, a wet gas cleaning plant, a new secondary baghouse and fan building, and the reconstruction of the smelter converter flues. Two new smaller, more efficient stacks were built to replace the Superstack.
The bulk of that work was completed in 2018.
“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,” the company said.
“The Superstack has been inactive since 2020, symbolizing our significant progress toward cleaner air and a healthier environment.
After its 2020 decommissioning, the Superstack was put on care and maintenance.
Vale said the copperstack would be dismantled first, and that process should be completed by 2025. Work will then begin on the superstack and should take about five years.
The company said safety is a priority for the job, as is minimizing disruptions to the neighbouring community of Copper Cliff.
Vale is planning a tribute to the Superstack, and community members can vote on one of three proposals: a monument to the stack, to be located within the City of Greater Sudbury; a mural to be located within the city; or a digital commemorative archive, with a charity coffee table book.
Details on the project, including how to vote on a preferred tribute, can be found here.
