Highlights
- Aurubis AG is ready to invest nearly €300 million to build a copper recycling plant in the US.
- The plant is expected to process 90,000 tonnes of complex wastes.
- The project is expected to create more than 100 jobs in the region.
Europe’s largest copper producer, Aurubis AG is ready to invest nearly €300 million to build a copper recycling plant in the US. The construction of the plant is anticipated to commence in the summer of 2022, in Augusta, Georgia with planned commissioning in the first half of 2024.
The secondary multi-metal recycling smelter is expected to process 90,000 tonnes of complex wastes that include copper cables, recycling boards along some other recycling materials.
The company is also planning to further process the intermediate products into various precious and industrial metals at its European smelter sites to a great extent and sell them in the US market.
Additionally, the group also expects Aurubis Richmond to contribute €80 million to EBITDA at full-fledged production capacity in the financial year 2025-26.
Conservation of natural resources
The CEO of the company, Roland Harings stated that the availability of large volumes of complex recycling materials in the US has prompted the company to decide on this project.
Roland also stated that some complex recycling materials in the US are simply dumped which can further be recycled to convert into a usable form.

Conservation of natural resources | Source: © Andreus | Megapixl.com
The investment in the project will support the conservation of natural resources and the company's efforts to utilize higher quantities of complex secondary raw materials in addition to copper.
The project is expected to create more than 100 jobs in the region. Additionally, the company has inked an MoU with US government authorities regarding economic support measures.
Bottom Line
Aurubis AG plans to invest €300 million towards the development of a copper recycling plant in the US. The significant investment in the project will support the conservation of natural resources and the company's efforts to utilise higher quantities of complex secondary raw materials.