Aurubis AG has unveiled a pioneering recycling plant in Hamburg, strengthening its position in non‑ferrous metals and copper recycling.
The new Complex Recycling Hamburg (CRH) facility brings multiple smelting capabilities together in one unit, allowing copper, lead and sulphur‑bearing raw materials to be processed within a single plant for the first time.
Following two‑and‑a‑half years of construction, production was officially launched by COO Tim Kurth alongside Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Dr. Christopher Schwieger from Hamburg’s Economic Affairs Authority. The €190 million investment is set to deliver a strong financial boost once fully operational and is a key element of the company’s “Aurubis Performance 2030: Forging resilience. Leading in multimetal” strategy.
CRH enables Aurubis to handle more than 30,000 additional tonnes of complex recycling materials each year, along with significantly higher volumes of high‑value smelter intermediates. This strengthens the company’s ability to recover essential metals and produce sulphuric acid for vital industrial applications, while keeping more material value within its smelter network.
A specially engineered converter sits at the core of the plant, processing 45‑tonne batches at temperatures reaching 1,400°C. Around one‑third of the total investment was dedicated to air‑pollution control. The company say that high levels of automation support efficient staffing and robust health and safety standards.
Tim Kurth highlighted the importance of innovation, stating: “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.”
The project also reinforces European value chains and supports the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. Funding from the European Union and the first raw‑materials‑focused investment loan from the European Investment Bank helped bring CRH to life. EIB Vice President Nicola Beer noted: “Securing critical raw materials such as copper and expanding recycling capacities in Europe are central to resilience, sustainable development, and Europe’s industrial competitiveness.”
Stefan Rouenhoff added: “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 emphasised Hamburg’s industrial strength: “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.“
Image: (From left to right): Tim Kurth (COO Customer Smelting & Products at Aurubis), Dr. Christopher Schwieger (State Councilor at the Hamburg Ministry of Economics, Labor, and Innovation), Boris Schlüter (production employee at Aurubis Hamburg), and Stefan Rouenhoff (Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy). Credit: Aurubis.
