closing the loop - a story of...
TRANSCRIPT
Closing the loop - a story of transformation
Dr. Christian Hagelüken Director of EU Government Affairs,
Umicore
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14,057 people in 76 industrial
sites worldwide, turnover 2013
€ 9,8 Bio (€ 2.4 Bio excl.
metals)
~ 50% of metal
needs from
Recycling
material
solutionsMetals
Application
know-how
Recycling
Material
solutions
Chemistry
Material science
Metallurgy
Top 10 ranking in global
index companies (Jan. 2014)
A materials technology & recycling company
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From mining to materials technology drastic changes in business activities, product portfolio
& company culture
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Umicore’s strength in recycling Result of a strategic transformation at the Hoboken site
1887
Start of a lead de-silvering
operation in Hoboken
1995
Start of major investment program
to re-engineer flowsheet
2013
Modernised flowsheet
treating 350,000 t/y
Investments since 1997: >500 Mio €; (comparable green field plant: >> 1 Bio €!
strategic decision to create flexible operations to process complex materials
major re-engineering of complete metallurgical flowsheet, substantial capacity increase
clean-up of historical pollution in surrounding areas
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Umicore’s Hoboken smelter today
ISO 14001 & 9001, OHSAS 18001
350 000 t/a of precious metals bearing secondary materials (WEEE, catalysts, smelter by-
products etc.),
Recovery of 17 metals: Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Cu, Pb, Ni, Sn, Bi, Se, Te, Sb, As, In
Innovative special processes for more metals: rechargeable batteries → Co, REE
The value of precious metals enables co-recovery of specialty metals
High metal yields & energy efficiency, minimal emissions & final waste
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Umicore’s Business Approach - much more than recycling
We transform metals into hi-tech materials
We use application know-how to create tailor-made solutions in close collaboration with our customers
We close the loop and secure supply by recycling production scrap and end-of-life materials
We aim to minimize our environmental impact and be the best employer and neighbour
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Key megatrends for Umicore
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Renewable energy Electrification of the automobile
More stringent emission control
Resource scarcity Renewable energy
Electrification of the automobile
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Umicore’s integrated role in supply chains
Fuel cell stack
manufacturer
Today (autocat) Tomorrow (fuel cell)
Other examples: electronics, rechargeable batteries, …
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Societal challenges
Growing population and wealth drive resource use & related impacts
Technology materials are part of the solution but their scarcity is another issue to be dealt with
Resource efficiency & circular economy are key tools to overcome scarcity
Need for innovation in technology and transformation in business models & stakeholder cooperation
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Massive shift from geological
resources to anthropogenic “deposits”
% mined in 1980-2010
% mined in 1900-1980
Mine production since 1980 / since 1900
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Re Ga In Ru Pd Rh Ir REE Si Pt Ta Li Se Ni Co Ge Cu Bi Ag Au
% mined in 1980-2010
% mined in 1900-1980
• Electric & electronic equipment (EEE) Over 40% of world mine production of copper, tin, antimony, indium, ruthenium & rare earths are annually used in EEE
• Mobile phones & computer account for 4% world mine production of gold and silver and for 20% of palladium & cobalt.
• Cars > 60% of PGM mine production goes into auto catalysts, increasing significance for electronics (“computer on wheels“) and light metals
• In the last 30 years we extracted > 80% of the REE, PGM, Ga, In, … that have ever been mined
• Clean energy technologies & other high tech applications will further accelerate demand for technology metals
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Focus circular economy metals can be recycled „eternally“ without loss of properties
Residues
Residues
Residues
Residues
Historic wastes
(tailings, landfills)
Dissipation
Residues
Residues
Residues
Residues
Historic wastes
(tailings, landfills)
Dissipation
End-of-LifeProduct
manufacture
Use
Natural resources
Metals, alloys& compounds
New
scrap
Raw materials production
Recyclingfrom
industrial
materials
from
Concentrates
& ores
product
reuse
reduce metal losses
along all steps of lifecycle
•Reduce generation of residues
•Collect residues comprehensively & recycle these efficiently
•Improve metal yields by using high quality recycling processes
Based on: C.E.M. Meskes: Coated magnesium, designed for sustainability?, PhD thesis Delft University of Technology, 2008
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Recycling of most technology metals
still lags way behind … End-of-Life recycling rates
for metals in metallic
applications WEEE:
precious metal
recycling rates
below 15%
UNEP (2011) Recycling Rates of Metals – A Status Report, A Report of the Working Group on the Global Flows to the International Resource Panel.
New report (April 2013): Metal Recycling: Opportunities, Limits, Infrastructure http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/Publications/MetalRecycling/tabid/106143/Default.aspx
http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/Publications/AreasofAssessment/Metals/Recyclingratesofmetals/tabid/56073/Default.aspx
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Recycling needs a chain, not a single process system approach is crucial
Collection 10,000’s
Prepro- cessing
1000‘s
100‘s
Example recycling of WEEE
Recovery of technology metals
from circuit boards
<10
Number of
actors in Europe
Dismantling
Total efficiency is determined by weakest step in the chain
Make sure that relevant fractions reach most appropriate refining processes
Global smelting & refining of
technology metals (metallurgy)
Example: 30% x 90% x 60% x 95% = 15%
products
components/
fractions
metals Inve
stm
en
t n
ee
ds
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Innovative business models & new
ways of stakeholder cooperation are crucial
Metallurgy
Mechanical processing
Costs & revenues
Collection & logistics
Product design & business models
Consumer- behaviour
Material & technology perspective
Product perspective
Success factors:
1. Technical recyclability as basic requirement
2. Accessibility of relevant components → product design
3. Economic viability intrinsically or externally created
4. Completeness of collection business models, legislation, infrastructure
5. Prevention of dubious flows → transparency & monitoring
6. Technical-organisational set-up of chain → recycling quality
7. Sufficient recycling capacity
Systemic optimisation & interdisciplinary approaches are needed between
stakeholders involved in product value chains, offering win-wins & further synergies
Thank You for your attention!
Contact:
www.umicore.com;
www.preciousmetals.umicore.com
For more information:
Hagelüken, C., C.E.M. Meskers: Complex lifecycles of precious and special metals, in: Graedel, T., E. van der Voet (eds): Linkages of Sustainability, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2010
Hagelüken, C.: Recycling of (critical) metals, in: Gunn, G. (ed): Critical Metals Handbook, Wiley & Sons, 2014