Largest planned maintenance shutdown at Aurubis Hamburg plant successfully concluded 

Yesterday, 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.  

It was the largest shutdown in the history of Aurubis Hamburg with roughly 500 individual tasks and an 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,” Aurubis Chief Transformation Officer 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.  

“I am proud of the entire team and our partners for the flawless completion of all the work accomplished during the shutdown. Now we will safely and reliably resume production,” Hamburg Aurubis Plant Manager Michael Jordan affirmed.  

During the 2022 and 2024 shutdowns, Aurubis realized extensive investments in plant equipment along with numerous digitalization and automation measures that will help the company achieve a significantly higher degree of efficiency and stability in production. Challenges in the manufacturing process will be identified at an early stage so they can be addressed in good time to ensure longer useful lifespans until the next shutdown. This stable foundation will allow Aurubis to again extend the frequency of the planned maintenance shutdowns from two to three years in the future. By extensively modernizing key equipment, Aurubis consistently aims to further increase already high plant availability.

H2-ready anode furnaces: More climate-friendly production with hydrogen 

Along with the comprehensive maintenance and renewal work, the company also executed two strategic projects during the shutdown that further expand Aurubis’ pioneering role in sustainability. 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.  

“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,” Aurubis CEO Roland Harings emphasized. “Aurubis is a pioneer for sustainable solutions in the sector — as we have clearly demonstrated by expanding carbon-free industrial heat for the households of Hamburg.” 

Expansion: more carbon-free industrial heat for Hamburg households 

During the shutdown, Aurubis also invested around € 100 million in laying the technical groundwork for feeding more carbon-free industrial heat into Hamburg’s district heating network. Aurubis has been supplying heat since 2018 and with the addition of the second stage, the multimetal company can now heat a total of up to 28,000 households in Hamburg as of the 2024/25 heating period. The anticipated heat volume makes this the largest industrial heat project in Germany, avoiding up to 120,000 t of CO2 in the city of Hamburg every year.  

Aurubis is part of the Living Lab Northern Germany with both strategic projects. Industrial Heat, a joint project with the Hamburg Energiewerken utility company, received funding from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).