Aurubis invests in Lünen, Germany, site

Aurubis reportedly will invest nearly 40 million euros, or $42.24 million, to construct an air separation unit (ASU) at its site in Lünen, Germany. The system will be able to produce oxygen of almost 100 percent purity, saving 8,500 tons per year of CO2.

German company Messer Industriegase GmbH, which specializes in these types of units, will begin planning and construction of the ASU in the fourth quarter, with completion scheduled for the end of 2025.

Aurubis says the addition of the ASU will make in-house production more efficient and independent of external supplies. The Germany-based company already operates ASUs at its other large sites, including in Hamburg, Germany, and Pirdop, Bulgaria.

The planned unit at the Lünen plant will separate air into its main components, primarily oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2), two elements that play a central part in copper production. The new separation unit will enable Aurubis to independently generate both elements directly on-site, with the oxygen from the unit being of higher quality than the gases currently being delivered.

Aurubis says it will generate nearly 100 percent pure oxygen in the ASU, so less oxygen will be required to produce the same copper volume in the future. Furthermore, captive oxygen production means the site can dispense with liquid oxygen that is delivered in large tanks, eliminating up to 3,000 truck deliveries per year and energy-intensive reconversion of the liquid oxygen into gas, reducing traffic and emissions in the region.

With the new ASU, Aurubis says it will be able to reduce its Scope 3 CO2 emissions by up to 8,500 tons per year. This is roughly equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions of 1,800 German households, according to the company.

“As one of the largest multimetal recycling sites in Europe, Aurubis Lünen is a cornerstone of the circular economy,” COO Multimetal Recycling Inge Hofkens says. “Building our own air separation unit further secures our long-established site in North Rhine-Westphalia and strengthens our core business. We will continue producing recycled metals in Lünen in the future, metals that are of crucial importance for the energy transition and for industry in Germany and Europe.”

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Aurubis Lünen Plant Manager Verena von Weiss adds, “I’m pleased that we’ll soon have our own air separation unit here on the Lünen plant premises. We’ve had good experience with it in the production process at other sites. By producing oxygen and nitrogen directly on-site, we can avoid future price fluctuations and possible delivery bottlenecks of these gases from external partners starting in 2026, making our production more reliable and efficient.”