Quebec, Canada, Tuesday March 15, 2022 – OPTEL, a leading global provider of supply chain traceability systems, has received a funding commitment of several million dollars from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to enable Glencore, one of the world’s largest global natural resources companies, to adopt environmental traceability technologies.
SDTC helps Canadian entrepreneurs accelerate the development and deployment of globally competitive clean technology solutions. The funding commitment will allow OPTEL to deploy its CO2 traceability solution within Glencore Canadian Operation, which will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from supply chains and improve its recycled material content.
“The support of the SDTC will allow us to deploy our technologies on a global scale to save more than 10 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents,” said Louis Roy, founder and president of OPTEL. “This is a significant contribution to a healthier environment and a more sustainable world, which has always been the cornerstone of OPTEL’s mission.”
“Both the Horne Smelter and the CCR Refinery, where the technology will be developed and implemented, already feature a low carbon footprint thanks to their hydroelectric power supply and the various projects completed over the years to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This technology will enable us to evaluate our carbon footprint through the entire supply chain of processing various feeds including recycled material, our intermediate product copper anodes and the final product cathode, including the percentage of recycled inputs contained in them. I am certain that this project will enable us to identify opportunities to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which is in alignment with Glencore’s ambition to be a net-zero emissions company by 2050” says Claude Bélanger – Chief Operating Officer of Glencore`s North American Copper Assets.
For this project, OPTEL will develop and implement a solution to dynamically track and assess the copper processed at both Glencore facilities in Québec. With the help of the CIRAIG research group and Propulsion Quebec, OPTEL will provide Glencore with an active inventory of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3) captured across their supply chain.
Glencore will benefit from OPTELl traceability platform with the ability to dynamically measure its GHG emission as well as the quantity of recycled content, at the unit level, in the smelted and refined copper. The collected information will be fully compatible with existing and upcoming standards for further sharing with downstream stakeholders. The architecture will provide actionable, granular, real-time data to confirm product provenance and recyclable content while maximizing production efficiencies to provide a competitive advantage of reduced carbon emissions. The result will be a more efficient, transparent and sustainable mineral supply.
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ABOUT OPTEL
OPTEL is a leading global provider of traceability systems whose goal is to use its innovative technologies to build a sustainable world through the Intelligent Supply Chain. OPTEL is the only company with the ability to offer complete end-to-end traceability, providing granular data at every step of the supply chain — from raw materials to the consumer and beyond. Founded in 1989, OPTEL is a Certified B Corporation headquartered in Canada, with facilities in Ireland, India and Brazil, as well as employees worldwide. For more information, visit optelgroup.com.
ABOUT GLENCORE
Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 responsibly-sourced commodities that advance everyday life. The group’s operations comprise around 150 mining and metallurgical sites and oil production assets. With a strong footprint in more than 35 countries in both established and emerging regions for natural resources, Glencore’s industrial activities are supported by a global network of more than 30 marketing offices. Glencore’s customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, battery manufacturing and oil sectors. Glencore also provides financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore’s companies employ around 135,000 people, including contractors. Glencore is proud to be a member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the International Council on Mining and Metals. The group is also an active participant in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Its ambition is to be a net-zero total emissions company by 2050.
ABOUT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY CANADA
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) helps Canadian companies develop and deploy competitive, clean technology solutions, to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges: climate change, clean air, clean water and clean soil. By taking a cross-Canada approach, from seed to scale, and in partnership with the best peers and experts, SDTC is the global benchmark for sustainable development innovation programming.