Strengthening Europe’s raw materials security: Aurubis inaugurates globally one-of-a-kind recycling plant for strategic metals 

Aurubis AG, a leading global provider of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide, marked the inauguration of a globally unique plant at its Hamburg site today. The new facility will enable the company to process greater volumes of increasingly complex recycling materials and smelter intermediates in the future. The Complex Recycling Hamburg (CRH) facility integrates the capabilities of multiple smelting processes into a single unit. For the first time, raw materials containing copper, lead and sulfur can be processed in a single plant.   

Together with Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Dr. Christopher Schwieger, State Councilor of the Hamburg Authority for Economic Affairs, Labor and Innovation, Aurubis COO Tim Kurth officially kicked off production after around two-and-a-half years of construction.  

The €190 million investment is expected to deliver a considerable positive financial contribution once fully ramped up. This makes CRH one of the most significant growth projects under the company’s current strategy, “Aurubis Performance 2030: Forging resilience. Leading in multimetal.” 

Unlocking more value from complex materials 

The new facility enables Aurubis to process attractive recycling materials for which there are only a limited number of buyers worldwide. CRH will allow the company to treat more than 30,000 additional tons of recycling material per year, as well as significantly larger volumes of high-value smelter intermediates with exceptional efficiency. This enhances Aurubis’ ability to recover important metals, such as copper, lead and precious metals, and to produce sulfuric acid — all indispensable for key industrial applications.  

The objective of this process innovation is to keep more materials and value within the Aurubis smelter network, optimizing the utilization of existing assets and further enhancing production resilience. The new plant also strengthens Aurubis’ business model with its diversified earnings drivers.  

Benchmark in technology, environmental protection, and automation 

At the heart of the plant is a specially engineered converter that separates the individual elements. The unit processes batches of around 45 tons at temperatures of up to 1,400 degrees Celsius. 

CRH is equipped with cutting-edge technology and sets a new benchmark in efficient, environmentally friendly multimetal production. Around a third of total investment went towards air pollution control measures, underscoring the plant’s high environmental standards. It is also highly automated, enabling very efficient staffing levels while ensuring best-in-class health and safety standards.  

Aurubis COO Custom Smelting & Products Tim Kurth emphasized: “Global demand for critical raw materials like copper is growing rapidly. So we need better access to recycling materials and more innovation in complex material processing. With Complex Recycling Hamburg, we’re expanding our multimetal expertise and impressively showing how metals can be sustainably and reliably processed in Germany. And we’ve laid the groundwork for additional attractive growth with the new plant, further increasing the resilience of our business and securing our competitiveness.”  

In addition to technological advancements, safeguarding European value chains is also a key focus. Projects like CRH support an increase in the processing of complex materials in Europe. 

Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said: “Securing critical raw materials is one of the key economic policy challenges of our time. Innovative projects like Complex Recycling Hamburg are making a tangible impact: They strengthen supply security and the industrial base in Germany and make our national economy more resilient.” 

Dr. Christopher Schwieger, State Councilor of the Hamburg Authority for Economic Affairs, Labor and Innovation, noted: “Aurubis continues to invest in industrial hub Hamburg. Complex Recycling Hamburg showcases how modern industrial production, innovation and sustainability can successfully work in tandem. This investment is important for the city’s economic future and for securing high-quality jobs.“ 

Key project for critical metals for Europe 

The CRH project received funding from the European Union and directly contributes to advancing the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. Project financing was backed by the first investment loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) under its comprehensive raw materials strategy. EIB Vice President Nicola Beer said: “Securing critical raw materials such as copper and expanding recycling capacities in Europe are central to resilience, sustainable development, and Europe’s industrial competitiveness. The EIB loan to Aurubis reinforces European value chains and shows that we are taking quick and decisive action in alignment with the Critical Raw Materials Act.”