Aurubis AG, a provider of nonferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide, has achieved a strategic milestone with the ramp-up of its new U.S. site Aurubis Richmond. The company will be producing key strategic metals such as copper, nickel, tin and precious metals in the state of Georgia. These are crucial for the future of the American economy and are essential for expanding data centers and AI applications, and for energy infrastructure, high-tech products and the defense industry.
The demand for strategic metals such as copper is rising steadily worldwide – American industry alone currently needs about 1.8 million t of copper per year – and experts estimate that demand will rise nearly 30 percent in the next five years. As of now, the U.S. imports about half of the copper it processes. Multimetal recycling can close this gap quickly. As the first and most technologically advanced secondary smelter, Aurubis Richmond reinforces the independence of American supply chains by processing complex recycling materials.
With an investment of about $800 million, Aurubis is creating more than 240 jobs in Georgia. The plant will process up to 180,000 t of complex recycling material annually – with the expansion stage starting in 2026 – including printed circuit boards, copper cable, and other metal-bearing products. Aurubis Richmond recovers critical metals from these materials, closing the value chain on site. Because it will be supplied locally, the Aurubis plant will help keep valuable raw materials in the market.
The new plant in Richmond is equipped with cutting-edge technology that fulfills the latest environmental standards enacted by the state of Georgia and federal authorities. This ensures that the plant is operated with the highest consideration for water, air and soil. Aurubis Richmond has also been designed as a flexible “one-stop shop” that will receive a broad range of metal-bearing recycling materials from U.S. suppliers.
Published October 2025
