Page 32 from: Recycling International January/February issue 2023
32
Red metal scrap key to
energy revolution
Copper is one of the champions of the recy-
cling industry. Thanks to generally high recy-
cling rates, typically 72% in Europe and the
US, the industry was worth US$ 239 billion
(EUR 219 billion) last year. What’s in store for
recyclers in the coming years?
secondary smelters using scrap and
currently processes one million tonnes
of recycled metals annually, mostly
copper.
‘We used 450 000 tonnes of copper
scrap in 2021 so, as such, half of our
metal feedstock comes from recy-
cling,’ Heiskanen says, adding that
Aurubis has spent EUR 730 million on
environment-friendly measures since
2000.
‘The latest news is that we are build-
ing a new copper recycling plant in
Augusta, Georgia. We are investing
EUR 300 million in this innovative US
venture, which will have a capacity of
90 000 tonnes per year.’
The facility will create 120 new jobs
and start operations in the first half of
2024. ‘It will treat complex scrap,
including printed circuit boards. We
hope to double our processing capac-
ity in the second year of operations. I
know we haven’t even opened the
facility yet but we have an ambitious
growth target in mind.’
Heiskanen reports that global trade
flows in copper scrap paint only part
of the picture as 6.7 million tonnes of
global copper scrap is unaccounted
for each year. ‘Where does the materi-
al go? How does it fall between the
cracks? Our industry still has a lot of
work to do.’
The better news is that others are
heeding that call. For example,
Wieland Group is putting EUR 80 mil-
lion into a new copper recycling plant
at its main German production site in
Vöhringen. The expansion adds
approximately 80 000 tonnes of annu-
al recycling capacity, which represents
a significant next step in the compa-
ny’s strategy to boost its recycling
operations worldwide.
Wieland’s site is due to operate from
the beginning of 2025 as part of plans
to achieve an average of 80% recycled
content in its copper and copper alloy
semi-finished products. By electrifying
the process, Wieland says it will signif-
icantly reduce its products’ carbon
footprint.
Company ceo Dr Erwin Mayr says the
site will create 2 000 ‘future-oriented’
jobs. Last June, Wieland broke ground
at a US copper recycling facility in
An estimated 35% of the world’s cop-
per used in production comes from
scrap. The volume is growing, in tan-
dem with rapidly increasing demand.
The United States Geological Survey
(USGS) estimates that (at refinery
level) secondary copper refined pro-
duction reached approximately 17%
of the world’s total output in 2021.
Analysts at S&G Global Market
Intelligence forecast that global cop-
per scrap supply, comprising smelter
and refinery feed and directly melted
scrap, will be almost 12 million tonnes
by 2030, up from 10 million tonnes in
2021. Steady interest in recycled cop-
per will see the global recycled cop-
per market hit US$ 330 billion by 2028
– it was US$ 239 billion in 2022.
SCRAP FLOWS
The biggest importers of copper scrap
are:
• China – 34% of worldwide imports
(US$ 12.6 billion)
• Germany – 10.5% (US$ 3.9 billion)
• Korea – 7.2% (US$ 2.67 billion)
• Belgium – 4.5% (US$ 1.68 billion)
• Japan – 4.2% (US$ 1.57 billion)
The biggest exporters of copper scrap
are:
• USA – 15% of worldwide exports
(US$ 4.49 billion)
• Germany – 8.4% (US$ 2.5 billion)
• Japan – 7.8% (U$ 2.34 billion)
• United Kingdom – 5.5% (US$ 1.65
billion)
• France – 5.5% (US$ 1.65 billion)
WORK TO DO
‘Copper is used extensively in next-
generation vehicles, airplanes and
trains,’ observes Hannu Heiskanen,
vice president Recycled Raw Materials
at Aurubis. He notes that boosting the
use of recycled copper is a key objec-
tive for the company. It operates four
A U T H O R Kirstin Linnenkoper
Copper recy-
clers are eager
to scale up
their opera-
tions.
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