The facility is a 50:50 joint venture between the two industrial leaders and involved a mid-double digit million Euro investment. Construction was completed in 16 months. On an area of 32,000 square meters and with over 100 employees, BHMR has a recycling capacity of approximately 10,000 tons of autocatalysts annually. The commencing of operations comes at a crucial juncture with the earliest Platinum Group Metals (PGM) carrying automobiles enter the recycling phase.
“The joint venture will utilize ECMS's pyrometallurgy recycling technology, providing customers with state-of-the-art technology for the recovery of precious metals,” said Tim Ingle, Senior Vice President, Precious Metal Services and Recycling, ECMS. “China is an important market for ECMS as one of the largest consumers of precious metals and BHMR will facilitate the reuse of precious metals in China, supporting circularity and enabling our customers to reduce their CO2 footprint.”
China relies heavily on imported precious metals due to limited domestic supplies. This highlights the importance of recycling to meet the country's needs, particularly for essential metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium, which are utilized in various industries such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and automobiles. According to market research, the Chinese autocatalyst recycling market is expected to experience remarkable growth, with an estimated annual growth rate of 18%. Hu Min, Head of Heraeus Precious Metals China, explained "The establishment of the joint venture will not only help our customers to buy their precious metals from a sustainable and traceable source, but also contribute a stable supply for China's precious metals supply chain."
