TRIMET Aluminium SE is investing several million euros in the modernization of its recycling plants in Gelsenkirchen and Harzgerode, Germany, with the aim of ensuring productivity, saving resources, and protecting the environment. Currently, the company produces about 235,000 tons of recycled aluminum annually.
“Aluminum recycling is becoming increasingly important,” said Thomas Reuther, member of the management board of TRIMET Aluminium. “It conserves natural resources and improves the energy balance of products. We are also making an important contribution through efficiency enhancements in aluminum processing.”
At the Gelsenkirchen site, the company is installing a 40 ton rotary drum furnace, replacing two existing furnaces. The furnace will use a new burner technology that will reduce energy requirements by 15%, while also increasing the proportion of recovered metal. The intelligent loading technology will enable quicker filling, increasing the quantity of material per melting process. The rotary drum furnace is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2018.
The Harzgerode site is receiving a new hearth shaft furnace in September 2018, which also features innovative burner technology. The furnace will have a melting capacity of 3 tons per hour, which is more productive and requires less power than the previous generation of furnaces.
In addition to production technology, TRIMET is investing in further improvements to environmental and occupational safety at both locations. In Harzgeorde, 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 (since the company had already roofed over the storage areas of the Gelsenkirchen recycling plant in the spring of 2018 and equipped them with a new exhaust system).