MAT Mincer: intelligent, simple and efficient production of safety components
Aurubis AG, a leading global supplier of non-ferrous metals and one of the world’s largest copper recyclers, focuses on strategic metals. One key focus is on North America, where Aurubis’s first multi-metal recycling plant in the US commenced operations in Richmond at the end of September.
Aurubis CEO Dr Toralf Haag presented the revised corporate strategy at the Capital Market Day in London. “Against the backdrop of the megatrends driving our business, we are very well positioned to supply sustainable metals. With our revised strategy, we aim to further strengthen our position as a leading copper and multi-metal producer,” said Haag. In doing so, the company is focusing on expanding its strong market presence and continues to set new standards in the processing of complex raw materials, as well as in metal recovery, technological leadership, sustainability and operational excellence.
Focused growth in the “Decade of Metals”
Aurubis finds itself at the centre of a structurally rising demand for copper and other non-ferrous metals – driven in particular by disruptive technological advances such as electrification, artificial intelligence and innovative technologies, as well as the modernisation of energy infrastructure and geopolitical shifts, including a changing security architecture. According to Haag, Aurubis’s international smelting network, with its recycling expertise and ability to process complex raw materials, gives the company an outstanding position from which to supply strategically important metals.
Metal raw materials are indispensable for all future technologies, whether in the energy transition, climate-friendly mobility or digitalisation. According to the company, Aurubis is one of the few companies worldwide capable of recovering 20 different metals and elements from a wide range of primary and secondary raw materials. According to its CEO, Haag, the integrated smelting network in Europe and the US enables scalability, flexibility and operational resilience. With its revised strategy, Aurubis intends to further strengthen its position as a global market leader in the processing of copper and other metals.
Following a phase of strong, investment-driven growth, Aurubis is now shifting its focus to realising returns from the new facilities – in a targeted, value-creating manner and in line with the company’s core competencies. With ‘Performance 2030’, Aurubis is presenting a series of initiatives to expand market access and raise its service levels, secure new material streams and consolidate the competitiveness of its products – thereby maximising profitability.
Aurubis is also strengthening its position as a leading global multi-metal supplier by further expanding its technological expertise and optimising its smelting network. According to the company, the focus on operational excellence enables more efficient material flows, eliminates system bottlenecks and utilises internal know-how in the processing of low-metal-content material to maximise multi-metal yields and process more complex intermediates in-house. With the aim of strengthening the company’s resilience and profitability, Aurubis expects sustained growth in earnings and cash flow.
Focus on growth in North America – plants from SMS
“The timely market entry in North America and Aurubis’s unique expertise, combined with an industry-friendly environment, provide a strong foundation for further growth in one of the world’s most attractive metal markets,” as Haag explained. A key milestone is the commissioning in September this year of the smelting furnace at the first and largest US multi-metal recycling plant in Augusta, Georgia. At around €740 million, Aurubis Richmond is the company’s largest investment outside Europe: it not only expands Aurubis’s global presence but also significantly increases recycling capacity, thereby securing the company’s strong position in one of the world’s most attractive metal markets.
Aurubis Richmond is designed to meet the rising demand for sustainable metal supply in North America, driven by infrastructure investment, supportive industrial policy and the growing need for security of supply. Together with other future options currently under consideration, the Aurubis site provides a strong foundation for further growth in the region.
The recycling plants constructed by the SMS group are already the second plant module for the Aurubis facility in the USA. At the heart of the plants is ‘Top Blown Rotary Converter’ (TBRC) technology, a state-of-the-art process for processing complex recycled materials in order to recover metallic raw materials such as copper, nickel, tin, zinc, precious metals and platinum group metals in subsequent stages.
Aurubis CEO Haag emphasises: “The commissioning of our plant in the USA is a milestone on Aurubis’ growth path. We are pioneers and have built the first greenfield secondary smelter in the USA in over a century. Our timely entry into the North American market and our unique expertise, combined with an industry-friendly environment, provide a strong foundation for further growth in one of the world’s most attractive metals markets.”
Source: Aurubis