Glencore Reaches Key Milestone at Canada’s Deepest All-Electric Mine
Glencore Advances $2bn Onaping Depth Project at Canada’s Deepest Mine
Glencore Canada has completed the production shaft and reached the orebody at its Onaping Depth project at the Craig Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, marking a major step towards production at one of the world’s deepest and most advanced battery-electric underground mines.
The milestone was marked on 27 August 2026, with the completed shaft providing access to a high-grade nickel and copper orebody located nearly 2,600 metres below surface the deepest Glencore has ever mined in the Sudbury Basin.
The shaft, constructed from the bottom of the existing Craig Mine, now connects the underground workings to the Onaping Depth orebody.
Initial mining areas have also been prepared, allowing ore extraction to begin as the project moves towards production ramp-up and completion in 2027.
The Onaping Depth project 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 a decade.
Once fully operational, it is expected to support more than 400 permanent jobs and extend nickel production in the region beyond 2040.
Designed for Electric Mining
A defining feature of Onaping Depth is its fully battery-electric underground mining fleet, covering equipment used for drilling, ore extraction and underground support.
Eliminating diesel-powered equipment is expected to reduce underground emissions as well as the ventilation and cooling requirements associated with diesel operations.
The mine will also incorporate automation and remote-operation technologies to improve safety and efficiency.
Glencore Canada COO Peter Xavier said the project’s combination of battery-electric equipment, automation and remote operations demonstrates how technology can support the next generation of mining while contributing to Canada’s net-zero ambitions.
The project has generated approximately 7,000 jobs during construction, while the federal government has provided up to $11 million through its Decarbonization Incentive Program to support the deployment of low-carbon mining technology.
Onaping Depth is expected to produce high-grade nickel and copper, strengthening Glencore’s long-term presence in the Sudbury Basin while supporting Canada’s critical minerals ambitions.
With shaft completion and first orebody access now achieved, attention turns to production ramp-up and the targeted 2027 project completion, as Glencore advances what could become a model for deeper, more automated and lower-emission underground mining.
