Final Thoughts

Teck Resources Producing Low-Carbon Zinc

Written by Laura Miller

March 30, 2023

Teck Resources is now producing zinc with a low-carbon footprint.

A new report independently reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows the extremely low-carbon footprint of refined zinc from Teck’s Trail Operations in British Columbia, Canada.

The report shows that Trail Operations’ zinc generates far less CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per ton than the global average: 0.93 metric tons of CO2e vs. the global average of 3-4 metric tons.

“Zinc is a critical mineral, important for its role in protecting infrastructure and in technologies for the low-carbon transition,” said Teck’s CEO Jonathan Price. “Teck is focused on responsibly producing this critical mineral with a reduced-carbon footprint, and meeting the highest environmental and social standards.”

Teck is a mining company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Its Trail Operations has an annual production capacity of 310,000 metric tons of zinc.

In February, Teck announced its intention to reorganize its businesses into two independent companies. Teck Metals Corp. will produce low-cost base metals and Elk Valley Resources will produce steelmaking coal. Shareholders are set to vote on approval of the business separation at a meeting on April 26.

By Laura Miller, laura@steelmarketupdate.com

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

Read more from Laura Miller

Latest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Even before the news about Mexico, I didn’t want to overstate the magnitude of the change in momentum. As far as we could tell, there hadn’t been a frenzy of new ordering following President Trump’s announcement of 50% Section 232 tariffs. But higher tariffs had unquestionably raised prices for imports, which typically provide the floor for domestic pricing. We’d heard, for example, that prices below $800 per short ton for hot-rolled (HR) coil were gone from the domestic market – even for larger buyers.