Aurubis to double annual output at Bulgarian site

EnergyBusinessSouth-East European INDUSTRIAL Мarket - issue 2/2024 • 04.06.2024

Aurubis to double annual output at Bulgarian site

At the end of April Aurubis broke ground on two projects to expand the tankhouse for copper production and build two additional solar power plants at the site in Bulgaria in the presence of the Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry Dr. Petko Nikolov. This represents an investment in the multimetal producer’s core business and another step towards decarbonizing production, both elements of the company strategy. By expanding the tankhouse, Aurubis will increase the site’s annual output by around 50% to 340 000 t of refined copper. The groundbreaking also kicked off another expansion of the company’s captive solar capacity. An additional extension stage has already been approved, and the entire park will generate around 40 megawatt peak (MWp) of solar power per year.

 

“Today’s groundbreaking for two projects impressively demonstrates how we are consistently realizing our Driving Sustainable Growth company strategy. Investing in expanding the tankhouse will help us meet the globally rising demand for copper, the element of the energy transition, even better”, Aurubis CEO Roland Harings explained.
Aurubis has invested in expanding its solar energy capacity in Bulgaria since 2021. The company is increasing captive power generation by building a total of four photovoltaic plants.

Once completed, they will cover around 15% of the site’s electricity demand with green energy. Annually, the plants will generate roughly 55 000 MWh. This will not only make the company less susceptible to price fluctuations on the energy market; it is also a key step towards carbon-neutral production. Aurubis is pursuing carbon-neutral production well before 2050 as part of its sustainability strategy. Once all four modules are complete, Aurubis will prevent around 25 000 t of CO2 emissions per year. The final expansion stage is anticipated to go online in 2026.

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