This page may not display properly to you because your browser is no longer supported or it is an outdated version we recommend that you use the latest version of Chrome The Supervisory Board of Aurubis AG approved an additional strategic project today: The multimetal company is investing € 120 million in expanding the tankhouse at its Bulgarian site in Pirdop The expansion will allow Aurubis to process around 340,000 tons of copper cathodes in the future which corresponds to an increase of around 50 % Following commissioning in the second half of 2026 Aurubis anticipates an annual earnings contribution (EBITDA) of € 30 million Megatrends like the energy and mobility transition and digitalization mean global demand for refined copper is steadily rising Aurubis is investing in a growing market and making another contribution to driving innovations and technological advances Chief Operations Officer (COO) Custom Smelting & Products highlights the project’s strategic significance: “This investment is another important contribution to strengthening our core business local investment since the acquisition of the site in 2008 Tankhouse expansion is a further development of the Pirdop site since it will allow us to process all locally produced copper anodes directly on site in the future This optimizes material flows within the Group on the one hand while considerably reducing our logistics costs and the CO2 footprint associated with them on the other.” The expansion also creates the conditions for additional strategic projects at other Aurubis Group sites electrolysis is the final purification step (refining) of the metal anodes cast from impure copper (up to 99.5 % copper content) are hung in a sulfuric acid solution next to cathodes made of stainless steel The electrical current applied causes the copper from the anodes to dissolve into the solution and be electrochemically deposited on the cathodes as a very pure metal The resulting copper cathode (99.99 % copper content) is the standard traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and is a starting material for high-quality applications The investment is a clear commitment to the Pirdop site and another building block in multimetal supplier Aurubis’ strong “We continue to consistently deliver on our ‘Driving Sustainable Growth’ strategy Aurubis is investing around € 1.1 billion in strategic projects that strengthen our core business and drive sustainable growth This is how we are further expanding our position as the most efficient and sustainable smelter network in the world,” Dr. Heiko Arnold emphasizes Aurubis also will finance the project approved today out of current cash flow without any capital increases Um die heruntergeladene Komponente zu sehen den QR code scannen Europe’s largest refined copper producer has started a project in its Bulgarian smelter which will expand group copper production by about 110,000 metric tons Aurubis will increase output of copper cathodes in its Pirdop refinery in Bulgaria by 50% to 340,000 tons annually The Pirdop plant is receiving a total 400 million euros ($429 million) of investment including 120 million euros to expand its tankhouse the last step in the copper refining process Expansion should be completed by the second half of 2026 Pirdop will then be about to fully refine all the metal it produces without having to send the first stage of metal produced to Aurubis’ main smelter network in Germany and Belgium for the final refining “This will mean an increase in group cathode production capacity of about 110,000 tons which will reduce European copper import need so this is a positive development for European industrial capacity.” The additional metal will be generally sold in Europe with expanding demand expected to continue from major trends such as renewable energy and electric cars Aurubis also plans a comprehensive modernization of the Pirdop smelter during a planned large-scale maintenance shutdown in 2025 and is building more solar power facilities at the location Harings said costs related to metal theft at its Hamburg site should cease to weigh on the company’s earnings Aurubis reported earnings again partly hit by high costs as a consequence of metal theft in Hamburg “I am confident that significant impact of the criminality on Aurubis’ results is at an end,” Harings said “I am also confident that with a good production levels and firm demand Aurubis will achieve strong results this year.” “I continue to expect we will reach our target of pre-tax profits of between 380 and 480 million euros this fiscal year.” (By Michael Hogan; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Gruyere gold mine joint venture partners Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources reach agreement on a friendly deal to consolidate ownership. The latest 10 include the proposed copper-nickel mine in Minnesota under a joint venture between Glencore and Teck. Exploration and mining of the energy metal has for 12 years been banned or largely restricted for environmental reasons in British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Gina Rinehart's mining company, Hancock Prospecting, is among the biggest donors to opposition leader Peter Dutton's Liberal Party. Jack Lundin, president and CEO, hailed Filo del Sol as "one of the most significant greenfield discoveries in the last 30 years." As part of the planned maintenance shutdown a global leading provider of non-ferrous metals updated its production facilities in the Pirdop plant with state-of-the-art technologies and executed additional improvements Following the successful completion of the project The investments implemented will allow the site to achieve even better environmental standards in the future while also creating ideal conditions for maintaining the Pirdop plant’s exceptionally high operative performance from recent years The successful completion of the large-scale shutdown in Pirdop demonstrates our ability to execute complex major projects on schedule and within the planned budget This is an essential skill for realizing our comprehensive strategic agenda COO Custom Smelting & Products of Aurubis AG “The regular maintenance shutdown also represents a considerable investment in the reliability and sustainability of our facilities This project will help us uphold the exceptionally high plant availability achieved after the previous shutdown in 2021 And it is a clear signal that we are continuing to develop our important site in Bulgaria.” During the 40 days of the maintenance shutdown more than 130 maintenance and repair activities were carried out in all the major production areas at the plant A large number of components were renewed and repaired as part of the technically and logistically extremely complex large-scale project With a total investment volume of around € 60 million the project was completed in the planned timeframe and budget The maintenance shutdown was also an opportunity to execute investment projects and optimizations that will raise the plant’s energy efficiency even higher a second anode casting wheel with all the feed lines to the anode furnace was installed This will further improve plant availability and production stability along with it In addition to safety and process efficiency the large-scale standstill in Pirdop also focused on enhancing the site’s environmental performance: Efficiency measures realized as part of the ongoing project will lower the plant’s CO2 emissions by another 2,100 tons per year while also improving the energy efficiency of production these investments will contribute to Aurubis’ sustainability target of a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from production and energy input (Scope 1&2) by 2030 Executing a maintenance shutdown is a major logistical and technical project and planning for the most recent shutdown in Pirdop began back in 2021 The Aurubis workforce was joined by more than 900 workers from a number of external companies occupational health and safety took highest priority and no accidents occurred during the project “Everything unfolded seamlessly and according to plan despite difficult weather conditions Our team on the ground worked with local partners to execute this unique project with exceptional focus and impressively well all around,” Pirdop plant manager Tim Kurth emphasized “We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this success and are proud that our focus on the very highest occupational safety standards during the large-scale maintenance shutdown as well delivered.” The German mining giant Aurubis is turning a new page in its corporate history in Bulgaria The company officially announced an investment program worth 400 million euros near the towns of Pirdop and Zlatitsa It will be implemented in the next four years with the aim of confirming the company’s commitment to the local communities as well as to the supply of critical raw materials that the European economy needs for its decarbonization the Cathode Copper Refinery Expansion Project broke ground on Thursday The production capacity of copper will be increased from 230,000 to 340,000 tons per year This is the largest investment in the 66-year history of the plant for giving their strength and skills so that in 2026 we can once again say welcome the new extension," commented Tim Kurth the Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry General Manager of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce as well as the mayors of Pirdop and Zlatitsa municipalities - Angel Gerov and Lyubomir Tsvetkov This is an important day for Bulgaria and for Bulgarian-German relations," Minister Nikolov said during the official ceremony He emphasized that the government focuses precisely on investments such as this one which generate greater added value for Bulgarian industry and production In addition to the expansion of production Aurubis Bulgaria is starting construction of two more photovoltaic parks - "Auribis-2" and "Auribis-3" With the addition of a fourth one next year the company's green energy capacity will reach 41 MWp For the implementation of its investment projects the German company trusts the largest construction group in Bulgaria - Glavbolgarstroy which is the long-term partner in all their undertakings in the country Emil Angelov thanked the contracting party for their trust and cooperation during the last nearly 8 years for the creation of two separate tailings dams Good planning represents perhaps half the success of building a site We value our partnership for many reasons – your innate instinct to follow the rules your clear understanding of the importance of human life as well as the fact that you listen to our expert opinion and together we walk the path of realization of truly complex projects,” Angelov said during the opening Aurubis Group CEO Roland Harings emphasized that this is the largest investment in the company's history but also the largest German investment in Bulgaria Pirdop will be an extremely important center for copper supply The Group's total investments in its factories in Germany Belgium and new capacities in the USA amount to 1.7 billion euros European Commissioner for the Internal Market also gave a welcome speech via a video message emphasizing that the demand for copper will double in 2025 He said that the Aurubis project will leave a lasting mark and contribute to the increase of Europe’s competitiveness so that it is not dependent on third-country sources Today Aurubis broke ground on two projects to 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 This represents an investment in the multimetal producer’s core business and another step towards decarbonizing production Aurubis will increase the site’s annual output by around 50 % to 340,000 t of refined copper Today’s groundbreaking also kicks 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 need for copper even better,” Aurubis CEO Roland Harings explained Aurubis is investing in expanding its core business as it moves towards becoming the most sustainable smelter network in the world.  “We congratulate Aurubis on the newly launched large investment program,” Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry Dr “Our government focuses precisely on investments like this that generate greater added value for the economy Aurubis is among the biggest investors in our country and we thank the company for trusting Bulgaria and investing in green technologies.” Aurubis has been active in Bulgaria since 2008 and is the largest industrial company in the country The production site has one of the Group’s highest throughput rates.  With the € 120 million investment in expanding the tankhouse Aurubis is considerably increasing production capacity in Bulgaria by 110,000 t to total 340,000 t a year The Bulgarian site will be able to process all the anode copper it produces curtailing logistics and lowering its carbon footprint through indirect Scope 3 emissions Copper is one of the most important raw materials for realizing the energy transition and driving digitalization The production capacity increase will allow Aurubis to supply even more of the metal that Europe critically needs Commissioning of the tankhouse is scheduled for the second half of 2026.  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 needs with green energy the plants will generate roughly 55,000 MWh the electricity it would take to power a town of 25,000 people for a year 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 The final expansion stage is anticipated to go online in 2026.  The two strategic projects are part of an extensive investment program that will boost the site’s efficiency and secure its long-term future Aurubis is financing higher energy efficiency including deploying 460 high-efficiency motors in the Bulgarian plant and installing state-of-the-art lighting technology The positive effect of the new motors alone will prevent around 12,000 t of CO2 emissions The company is also investing in a number of infrastructure projects such as comprehensively retrofitting its smelter during a planned large-scale shutdown in 2025 and a company fleet of train cars to transport copper concentrates from the Port of Burgas to Pirdop Aurubis is setting new environmental protection standards in the region with wastewater treatment and slag processing projects we will be investing more than € 400 million in increasing capacity and further expanding production in Pirdop while gearing up for the coming years and decades,” Aurubis Bulgaria CEO Tim Kurth said “It is the largest investment program since the site was acquired in 2008 and a clear sign of the site’s importance as a central pillar of the Aurubis smelter network,” Kurth added Part of the € 400 million (60 %) is included in the strategic Group investment package of € 1.7 billion The company is starting the expansion of cathode copper capacity energy efficiency programs and modernization of the main production at the Pirdop plant as part of the large-scale investment program "Investments for Progress "Aurubis" announced the start of a large-scale investment program for the country the first sod was laid for the expansion of the cathode copper refinery at the company's plant near Pirdop and Zlatitsa The production capacity of cathode (refined) copper will be increased by 50% - from 230,000 to 340,000 tons per year "The start of new projects shows how we are consistently implementing our strategy for sustainable growth The expansion of the refinery will help us to meet even better the growing need for copper "This is an important day for Bulgaria and for Bulgarian-German relations," said the Minister of Economy Dr "The government focuses precisely on investments like this which generate greater added value in the Bulgarian industry," he added the construction of two new photovoltaic parks "Aurobis-2" and "Aurubis-3" in addition to the first solar plant established in 2021 The fourth stage - "Aurubis-4" was also approved the photovoltaic complex of "Aurubis Bulgaria" will have 41 MWp of green capacities for its own needs which will provide 15% of the energy required for production and save over 25,000 tons of carbon emissions per year The ceremony was also attended by the chief manager of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce Sonia Miklai the commercial attaché of Germany in Bulgaria Moritz Seiler the member of the European Parliament Tsvetelina Penkova Markus Kramer from the Supervisory Board of the Aurubis Group the mayors of Pirdop and Zlatitsa Angel Gerov and Lyubomir Tsvetkov CEO of "Glavbolgarstroy Holding" Emil Angelov "We value our partnership for many reasons - compliance with the rules embedded in your DNA and to walk together on the path to the realization of really complex projects," said Emil Angelov Glavbolgarstroy is the contractor for the construction of the expanded refinery "Aurubis Bulgaria" also started the first phase of the project to replace energy-intensive engines and units with energy-efficient ones of the latest generation and the effect of replacing the engines alone is estimated to be 25 GWh less electricity consumption per year The construction of the gas pipeline to the plant is also underway which will allow the replacement of high-emission fossil fuels with natural gas we will invest more than BGN 800 million here to secure the coming decades "Thank you to the entire team involved in the projects," said Tim Kurth European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton congratulated the company in a special video message The projects are part of the four-year program "Investments for progress which envisages securing the long-term future of the plant next to Pirdop and Zlatitsa and implements Aurubis' strategy for securing key materials for the European economy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 The program also includes modernization of the main production in 2025 modernization of water purification and slag processing processes a new fleet of wagons for transporting copper concentrates Aurubis AG is a leading global supplier of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recycling companies in the world Aurubis AG shares are part of the Prime Standard segment of the German Stock Exchange and are listed on the MDAX the Global Challenges Index (GCX) and the STOXX Europe 600 "Aurubis Bulgaria" AD operates the oil extraction plant near Pirdop and Zlatitsa and is the largest company in the country with structural importance for the Bulgarian economy The project was implemented with the financial support of the Agency for People with Disabilities Contract 6 - StN / 10/06/21 анд Contract № 2 - StN / 23.05.2023 г 3E-news.net by Dir.bg © 2025 All rights reserved Working to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and nature WWF® and ©1986 Panda Symbol are owned by WWF You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience At the end of a three-day state visit to this country President of Germany Joachim Gauck and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev paid a visit to the copper plant of German company Aurubis in the town of Pirdop This is no accident as the plant is an emblematic example of the fact that some 30 percent of the 100 largest investors in Bulgaria are actually German companies This is the leading copper processing plant in Southeast Europe producing 1.2 million tons of copper concentrate and 1.2 million tons of sulfuric acid annually In 2015 the turnover of the company reached 2.2 billion euros Some 550 million euros have been invested over the past 10 years in modernization and environmental protection The investment program of the company until 2018 totals 180 million euros Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev has left for Washington where he will participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (May 5-7 The forum is organised by the Munich Security Conference The foundation Unity- Kočani has sent an open letter to key Bulgarian institutions expressing gratitude for the support and humanitarian assistance provided by Bulgaria after the tragedy of the fire at a nightclub in Kočani The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Greece Georg Georgiev and Giorgos Gerapetritis signed a joint declaration on the use of the waters of the river Arda on 2 May the BNR reports citing an announcement published by the Greek Foreign Ministry.. people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will fly at low altitude over Sofia in preparation for a military parade marking the Day. The Bulgarian student teams that participated in the European Olympiad of Experimental Sciences EOES 2025 in Zagreb have returned with. english@bnr.bg The Women 4 Metals initiative was launched in Pirdop with the participation of Bulgaria's volleyball legends Matej Kaziyski and Radostin Stoychev a team of young girls from their volleyball academy and the Pirdop girls' volleyball team.  The start of the campaign was given in Germany in 2019 at the Aurubis Group gathered their colleagues around them with the idea of presenting metallurgy as an attractive workplace for women in which fair labor conditions such as transparent career development opportunities W4M's goals are to have more women in key positions in metallurgy to develop professionally and career-wise and to raise awareness of the metal industry for example by participating in industry exhibitions and meetings The universal values of Women 4 Metals allow the initiative to be quickly recognized by both women and men and now not only in Germany and our country Women 4 Metals has transformed into a platform that has so far attracted six more companies and organizations manager of "Business development of iron silicates" at "Aurubis Bulgaria" and the person from the Srednogorie region is Zlatka Kaneva which was chosen as the venue for the announcement of W4M in Bulgaria gathered a colorful crowd of Aurubis employees athletes and representatives of the local community for the opening of the initiative Attendees witnessed not only a hard-fought game in which the home girls won 2:1 women's inclusion and equal rights in the steel industry "Aurubis Bulgaria has launched a culinary and tourism project which is a part of the company's long-term social strategy to support the popularization of the region of Srednogorie will spend three days in Pirdop and Dusantsi to create and share their stories about what they have seen and experienced.  The aim of the project is to present the less known but with great potential for interesting leisure time historical cultural and natural attractions in the municipality of Pirdop In an attractive and involving way to present the most delicious local dishes so as to promote the area as an attractive tourist point near Sofia Rene and June will meet the mayor of the Municipality of Pirdop and will challenge him with interesting questions together with the locals they will bake the Pirdop Tutmanik many more hidden sights will be shown to the wide audience And it will all be available for everyone to see at www.bacchus.bg The video recipes will be posted on a special You Tube playlist The company continues to fulfil its commitments to the municipality cultural institutions and sports clubs in the community Aurubis Bulgaria financed the establishment of a sophisticated surveillance (CCTV) system in the town of Pirdop The project was implemented within the framework of the 2019-2021 Partnership Programme between the copper plant and the Municipality of Pirdop A total of 71 IP cameras were installed in the town 3 varifocal cameras and 6 automatic number-plate recognition cameras The Milestone XProtekt Professional software platform supports the continuous surveillance of the main areas in the town of Pirdop The project was implemented by A1 Bulgaria EAD The digital and telecommunication service provider conducted a series of trainings of police officers and municipal administration staff The video camera images are projected on big screens and they can be monitored and managed at two workstations located at the town hall and the local police office in the town of Pirdop The state-of-the-art CCTV system will contribute to the security of the community through the prevention of anti-social behaviour and property damage Aurubis Bulgaria continues its commitments to the Municipality of Pirdop The BGN 680 000 Partnership Programme was used to finance the third phase of the renovation of the sports hall in the town and to provide resources for the repair works at the Savo Savov Secondary School the community centres in Dushantsi and Pirdop the Peka and Carlo Chokonyani Kindergarten and sports clubs and to build the porch of the medical centre Additional resources were provided to the local educational establishments beyond the Partnership Programme