The first gold from Hudbay’s refurbished New Britannia mill in Snow Lake was produced Aug. 11, ahead of the company’s timeline to do so by the end of 2021.
Mill refurbishment was completed in June with commissioning and startup activities taking place in July.
“We are proud of the New Britannia project and operating teams for completing construction activities ahead of the original timelines and achieving a successful ramp up to first gold production,” said Hudbay CEO Peter Kukielski in an Aug. 12 press release. “This is a major growth milestone for Hudbay and our Manitoba business as it marks the beginning of the transition of our Lalor mine to a primary gold operation.
A new copper flotation facility is being constructed at New Britannia and is expected to be commissioned in the last quarter of the year. Annual gold production from Snow Lake operations is expected to increase to over 180,000 ounces per year over the first full six years of New Britannia’s operation, Hudbay says.
