The metals group Aurubis inaugurated a new recycling plant in the Belgian town of Olen in the first part of December. Known as Bleed Treatment Olen Beerse (BOB), the facility uses a hydrometallurgical process to extract valuable metals, such as nickel and copper, from electrolyte streams. Known as "the bleed", these streams are generated during metal production at Aurubis’ sites in Olen and the nearby town of Beerse. The project involved an investment of approximately €85m and will create more than 30 new jobs.
Aurubis described BOB as a key investment to expand its international smelter network and maximise synergies between its sites. The project allowed Aurubis to keep even more strategically relevant metals for Europe in the loop, the company noted in a press release.
“BOB clearly demonstrates our commitment to innovation and a circular economy. With this facility, we are taking recycling to the next level, as it allows us to optimally process the valuable metals from dynamic and continuously changing input materials and recycling markets. With BOB, we are strengthening our core business and further contributing to the European circular economy,” remarked Inge Hofkens, the COO of Multimetal Recycling at Aurubis Group. The company was committed to expanding its leading role in sustainability, Ms. Hofkens added.
The new recycling plant in Olen is Aurubis’ second major investment in Belgium implemented as part of its current growth strategy. In early September, Aurubis opened its new Advanced Sludge Processing by Aurubis (ASPA) facility in Beerse.
Altogether, Aurubis intends to invest approximately €1.7bn by the 2027/28 financial year as part of its "Metals for Progress: Driving Sustainable Growth" strategy. The largest project is its new €740m recycling plant in Richmond in the US state of Georgia. In mid-September, the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first unit at the plant, which will recycle about 180,000 tonnes of complex recycling materials annually, such as electrical and electronic scrap.
