Hudbay Minerals recently celebrated the official groundbreaking of the New Ingerbelle expansion project at its Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia. It comes shortly after the government added New Ingerbelle to its list of priority resource projects, recognizing initiatives that support economic growth, responsible resource development, and long-term value creation across the province.
“New Ingerbelle is not just an expansion, it is a critical pillar of Hudbay’s long-term growth strategy in British Columbia,” said Peter Kukielski, president and chief executive officer of Hudbay. “The opening of New Ingerbelle enhances the copper and gold production profile at Copper Mountain, secures more than 800 full-time jobs beyond 2040 and ensures the mine continues to deliver economic benefits at the local, regional and federal levels. Our efforts to optimize Copper Mountain, combined with the development of New Ingerbelle, will unlock significant long-term value for all of our stakeholders.”
Based on current mineral reserves, New Ingerbelle is projected to produce approximately 750,000 tonnes of copper, 900,000 oz. of gold and 5.5 million oz. of silver over the life of mine. Designed to access higher-grade mineralization, the expansion also features a stripping ratio approximately three times lower than that of the current mining areas.
The expansion is also expected to generate significant economic benefits for British Columbia, noted Hudbay, including more than C$11.5 billion in provincial GDP, while preserving more than 800 direct jobs and generating more than C$2.2 billion in labor income.
“Hudbay’s groundbreaking is more than a start of a new mine expansion. It’s a signal of confidence in Canada’s resource sector, in Canadian workers, and in our ability to build big things,” said the Honorable Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “Our government is proud to see a strong and proud Canadian company continuing to invest, grow and create opportunities in British Columbia.”
The New Ingerbelle expansion received key mining permits on Feb. 19, 2026. Hudbay is currently advancing important infrastructure required for the expansion, including an access road, a bridge across the Similkameen River, and an east haul road connecting New Ingerbelle to existing operations.
Concurrently, the miner has initiated a targeted drilling program at New Ingerbelle, focusing on upgrading existing inferred resources to reserves to optimize and extend the future mine life at Copper Mountain.
Source: Hudbay Minerals