Britannia Refined Metals has opened a £41m facility in Kent to boost critical-mineral recovery.
The Northfleet firm’s sampling plant has the capacity to process 25,000 tonnes of copper-bearing waste each year.
It takes mixed refuse and passes it through a series of shredders and furnaces to divide it into small amounts for chemical analysis.
Britannia, part of natural resources giant Glencore, said the plant would help recover critical minerals, “supporting the UK’s circular economy and global demand for recycled copper”.
It said much of the precious material was expected to be recovered from appliances such as fridges and microwaves along with other electrical scrap.
Marc Bedard, head of zinc and metallurgical assets at Glencore, said the sampling plant “signals our commitment to working with our customers in recovering critical minerals from waste and producing materials like copper, which can be used for infrastructure, mobility, energy and security technologies.”
Paul Odendaal, development engineer at Britannia Refined Metals, added: “We are proud to have made this investment here in Kent, where we have been part of the local community for nearly a century.
“We are confident that we can continue to play an important part in the global critical minerals supply chain and look forward to continuing to work with local suppliers and businesses.”
