Bunker Hill Mining Corp. shipped its first copper concentrate to the Trail Smelter in British Columbia on July 31, 2026 [1, 2].
The shipment marks a critical transition for the company as it moves toward full commercial operations. This development signifies the first time the Idaho site has produced a product in 45 years [3].
The company achieved this milestone following the successful commissioning of a new processing plant with a capacity of 1,800 tons per day [1, 4]. This facility allows the company to process materials on-site before shipping them to Teck Resources Limited, the operator of the Trail Smelter [1, 2].
According to the company, the concentrate was produced on June 29, 2026 [2]. The gap between production and the July 31 shipment date reflects the logistics of transporting materials from the mine site in Kellogg, Idaho, to the Canadian smelter [1, 3].
With the new plant operational, Bunker Hill also announced the drawdown of its standby processing facility [1, 4]. The standby facility had served as a temporary measure until the primary plant could be brought online.
"With the successful commissioning of our new 1,800 ton per day (tpd) processing plant, the Company is now able to ship concentrate to Teck’s Trail Smelter and draw down the standby facility," a Bunker Hill spokesperson said [1].
The transition to the 1,800-tpd plant is intended to reduce the company's reliance on external or temporary processing solutions, streamlining the path from extraction to shipment [1, 4].
“The Idaho site has produced a product in 45 years.”
The resumption of production at the Bunker Hill site after four and a half decades represents a significant industrial revival for Kellogg, Idaho. By establishing a direct pipeline to the Trail Smelter and eliminating the need for standby facilities, the company is moving from a developmental phase to a commercial production phase, which typically reduces operational overhead and increases revenue predictability.
