Aurubis completes largest modernization in 30 years at Bulgarian copper plant

Aurubis, a global leader in non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide, has successfully completed the most extensive scheduled maintenance and modernization project at its Bulgarian plant in three decades. The two-month shutdown involved around 120 coordinated projects, executed on schedule and within the nearly EUR 115 million budget. All facilities at the site have now resumed full operations. The large-scale effort is a key part of the company’s long-term strategy to strengthen operational stability and efficiency at the site, which plays a critical role in Aurubis’ global smelting network.

The project focused on a complete overhaul of the flash smelter – the core unit of the copper smelting operation, originally commissioned in the late 1980s. With a throughput capacity of approximately 1,5 million tons of copper concentrate, the smelter underwent extensive renovations, including the replacement of 300 tons of steel walls, cooling units, and 15 kilometers of copper pipes.

Additionally, the furnace received a new lining made from over 1500 tons of refractory bricks. The existing, proven smelting technology was upgraded with state-of-the-art components to ensure maximum plant availability.

To improve environmental performance, two electrostatic precipitators with a combined weight of 900 tons were also replaced. These units were pre-assembled using a modular approach to reduce downtime. A 750-ton crawler crane, assembled and dismantled directly on-site, was used to carry out the replacement.

The third major component of the modernization was the most comprehensive upgrade to sulfuric acid production at the site since the early 2000s. A new converter and six heat exchangers were installed, with a total equipment weight exceeding 1000 tons.