17-08-2022

Heraeus Precious Metals adds a smelter to its recycling capabilities

Heraeus Precious Metals, a leading provider of precious metals services and products, will further expand its recycling capabilities by building a smelter in the United States. The new smelter will be located in Wartburg, TN/USA, where Heraeus Precious Metals already operates a recycling facility.

With the expanded capabilities, the company will be able to treat new recycling materials and further strengthen its already very strong position in the recycling market. The smelter is planned to be operational within the next two years.

In line with Heraeus Precious Metals’ sustainability goal to become carbon neutral by 2025, the smelter will be powered exclusively by renewable energy. It will mainly be used for the treatment of internal recycling material streams. Over the past years, Heraeus Precious Metals saw strong growth at its eight recycling locations worldwide. This development resulted in a substantial increase in the quantity of internal streams suitable for smelter processing. Having the ability to treat these materials will increase the efficiency of the company’s processes and reduce overall handling complexity. This development enables Heraeus Precious Metals to reduce its exposure to increasingly unreliable supply chains and become more robust within the value chain. 

"We are convinced that the precious metals recycling market will continue to grow as a result of more regional supply chains and an increasing demand for both secondary recycled materials and circular solutions,”  explains Uve Kupka, President Heraeus Precious Metals Americas. “The investment in our site in Wartburg will be in the mid double-digit million USD range and is part of a larger expansion program executed at our locations worldwide.” Furthermore, it will contribute to the advancement of the local economy through the creation of 40 to 50 new jobs in Morgan County, Tennessee.