Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced a major expansion of its EGA Leichtmetall aluminium recycling operations in Germany.

The new facility, to be built near Hannover, will increase recycling capacity more than six-fold, adding 110,000 tonnes per year of scrap sorting and 153,000 tonnes per year of melting and casting capacity. The project represents an investment of around US$170 million, with first production expected in 2028. EGA Leichtmetall’s existing Hannover site currently has melting and casting capacity of approximately 30,000 tonnes per year.

The plant will be among the first globally to integrate advanced scrap sorting, high-efficiency melting furnaces, and on-site salt recovery in a single location. Using X-ray and laser-based sorting, the facility will be able to process a wider range of post-consumer scrap and produce high-quality secondary aluminium suitable for demanding applications, including packaging.

EGA is expanding its recycling footprint globally, with recent and ongoing capacity increases at EGA Spectro Alloys in Minnesota and the near completion of the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant.

Europe is the world’s third-largest recycled aluminium market, with recycled metal supplying around 40% of demand, a figure expected to grow significantly by 2033. EGA also supplies more than 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium annually to Europe.

The new German facility will feature energy-efficient furnaces designed for future hydrogen use and casting lines capable of producing a wide range of wrought and foundry alloys, while recovering nearly all salt used in the recycling process.