Canadian mining company Teck Resources has unveiled plans to invest up to $3.9-billion to expand its copper and zinc production, reinforcing its focus on energy transition metals following the sale of its steelmaking coal business to Glencore last year.

The shift aims to position Teck as a key player in the global copper market, with a target of achieving output of 800 000 t/y of copper by the end of the decade.

Central to Teck’s growth strategy are four near-term copper projects. Among these is the Quebrada Blanca (QB) optimisation and debottlenecking project in Chile, which seeks to boost throughput at Teck’s flagship mine by 15% to 25%.

The project is described as a low-capital-intensity initiative that builds on the successful ramp-up of QB operations, which achieved design throughput rates by the end of 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, QB contributed 60 700 t of copper to Teck’s record quarterly production of 122 100 t, a 19% year-on-year increase.

In Canada, Teck is investing between $1.3-billion and $1.4-billion in a life extension project at the Highland Valley Copper mine. This initiative is set to extend the life of Canada’s largest copper mine to the mid-2040s, with expected average production of 137 000 t/y over the mine’s remaining life.

Meanwhile, in Peru, Teck is progressing its Zafranal project, which could be sanctioned in the second half of this year. The mine is expected to produce 126 000 t/y of copper during its first five years, along with significant gold by-product credits.

In Mexico, Teck is advancing the San Nicolas project in partnership with Agnico Eagle. Teck has earmarked up to $500-million for the development of the mine, which is expected to produce 63 000 t/y of copper and 147 000 t/y of zinc. A final investment decision is expected in the second half of 2025.

Teck’s production performance in 2024 underpins its growth trajectory. The company reported 2024 copper production of 446 000 t, a 50% increase over the previous year, driven primarily by the ramp-up of QB.

However, zinc production faced mixed results. Zinc-in-concentrate output declined by 4% to 615 t, largely owing to a shift towards copper-only ore at the Antamina mine, in Peru, although this was partially offset by a 3% increase in production at the Red Dog mine, in Alaska.

Yearly refined zinc production fell by 4% to 256 000 t, following a fire at the Trail electrolytic zinc plant in September 2024, which impacted fourth-quarter operations.