Trimet Aluminium modernizes its recycling plants

Trimet Aluminium SE invested in modernizing its recycling plants in Gelsenkirchen and Harzgerode, Germany, to improve its productivity, save resources and protect the environment. 

The company produces about 235,000 tons of recycled aluminum annually. In its recycling plants, Trimet says it focuses on new processes that improve productivity and energy efficiency. This year and next year, the family business plans to invest in the high single-digit million-euro range in both technical equipment and environmental protection measures.

In Gelsenkirchen, Trimet will install a new rotary drum furnace, which is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2018. With a capacity of around 40 tons, it will replace two existing furnaces. The new burner technology reduces the furnace’s energy requirements by 15 percent while also increasing the proportion of recovered metal. The intelligent loading technology also enables quicker filling, increasing the quantity of material per melting process. 

The Harzgerode recycling site will receive a new hearth shaft furnace in September 2018, which also features innovative burner technology. The furnace with a melting capacity of three tons per hour is more productive and requires less power than the previous generation of furnaces.

“Aluminum recycling is becoming increasingly important,” says Thomas Reuther, member of the management board of Trimet Aluminium SE. “It conserves natural resources and improves the energy balance of products. We are also making an important contribution through efficiency enhancements in aluminum processing.” 

In addition to production technology, Trimet says it plans to invest in further improvements to environmental and occupational safety at both locations. 

In Harzgerode, the storage bins for scrap metal will be completely covered by mid-2019. This protects the raw materials from atmospheric influences and eases the impact on the surrounding residential area. New extraction systems will further reduce dust emissions, which are already below the legal limits. In the spring of 2018, Trimet had already roofed over the storage areas of the Gelsenkirchen recycling plant and equipped them with a new exhaust system.

Trimet’s recycling plants are based in Gelsenkirchen and Harzgerode. Also, Trimet produces primary aluminum and die-casting products in Essen, Germany; Voerde, Germany; Hamburg, Germany; and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France. The company produces aluminum wires in Castelsarrasin, France.