Norddeutsche expands copper scrap recycling
HAMBURG, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Norddeutsche Affinerie (NAFG.DE), Europe's largest copper producer, said on Tuesday it was investing 62.5 million euros to expand copper scrap recycling capacity at its plant in Luenen in central Germany.
The project would by 2011 increase scrap processing capacity at the Luenen plant to 350,000 tonnes a year from 220,000 tonnes now, the company said in a statement.
Investment would include a second smelting unit and equipment to reduce waste gas emissions.
Luenen concentrates on recycling of complex scrap such as waste from electronic equipment and industrial shreddings and powders.
"This investment underlines our strategy of processing a wide range of recycling materials in an environmentally-friendly way," said Michael Landau, Norddeutsche's director for recycling and precious metals.
Norddeutsche's main plant in Hamburg produces copper from concentrates (ore) and less complex scrap such as waste from the construction industry while Luenen focuses on processing complex scraps.
Germany has banned electronic scrap in household and industrial refuse which has given the group an expanding source of raw materials away from the traditional scrap market.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan; editing by Christopher Johnson)
