Hydrogen-ready anode furnaces installed at Aurubis Hamburg site

Aurubis successfully wrapped up the largest maintenance shutdown in company history at the Hamburg site. During the shutdown, the company also executed investment projects for hydrogen-ready anode furnaces and the expansion of carbon-free industrial heat.

Along with the comprehensive maintenance and renewal work, the multimetal supplier swapped out its anode furnaces, equipment essential for copper refining, with new, innovative furnaces that are hydrogen-ready. They can be fueled with hydrogen instead of natural gas — and then only emit water vapor, eliminating carbon dioxide as a by-product. An important step in decarbonizing metal production and along Aurubis’ path to carbon-neutral production well before 2050.

Using only hydrogen as a reduction agent at the Hamburg site, this € 40 million investment will allow the company to prevent at least 5,000 t of CO2 a year, further reducing the carbon footprint of its copper, already well below the industry average today.

It was the largest shutdown in the history of Aurubis Hamburg with roughly 500 individual tasks and around € 95 million budget for plant maintenance and technical upgrades. These included technically inspecting the waste heat boiler, overhauling the flash smelter, and installing heat exchangers in the contact acid plant — important investments in the Hamburg plant’s efficiency and environmental protection. Aurubis also installed a tap-hold drill and tamping machine, which will automate slag tapping in copper production in the future, ensuring better safety.

Around 2,000 people were involved in the large-scale project including 1,500 workers from partner companies, suppliers and service providers. “We executed all the shutdown tasks with the highest quality — a technical and logistical tour de force, given the extreme complexity of the shutdown,” Markus Kramer emphasized. “Occupational health and safety were top priorities during the shutdown, as they are in regular operations. And we effectively ensured a safe working environment with a comprehensive concept, clear rules, and good communication,” Kramer added.

“This strategic investment represents another milestone along our path towards carbon neutrality, and demonstrates at the Hamburg site that as an industry, we are an important part of the solution for accelerating decarbonization,” Roland Harings emphasized. “Aurubis is a pioneer for sustainable solutions in the sector — as we have demonstrated by expanding carbon-free industrial heat for the households of Hamburg.”