North Carolina Copper Smelter To Begin Operations in 2021

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The planned secondary copper smelter plant in Shelby, North Carolina by Ames Copper Group is scheduled to commence operations during the current year. The joint venture between East Hartford, Connecticut-based Prime Materials Recovery (PMR) and Cordoba, Spain-headquartered Cunext Group has reached an agreement with Germany-based metals equipment and technology provider SMS Group towards supply of copper smelter.

The contract covers supply of equipment including 180-ton tilting refining furnace, anode casting wheel, gas cleaning system, and electric and automation systems. Additionally, SMS Group will provide technical assistance for the installation and startup and will be responsible for the layout of the core equipment. The new project further reiterates SMS Group’s leadership position as a top supplier of integrated solutions for the nonferrous metals industry.

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The proposed plant will produce copper anodes from copper scrap and copper fines. It will be the first such secondary copper recycling facility in the entire U.S region. The project has already secured a performance based grant of $15,000 from the One North Carolina Fund, subject to meeting job creation and capital investment plans.

The $26.3 million facility is expected to have a production capacity of up to 50,000 tons of copper anodes per annum.