Aurubis recycling plant brings over 200 jobs to the Augusta-Aiken area
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Gov. Brian Kemp came to Augusta on Friday for the ribbon-cutting of a new metal recycling plant in south Augusta.
It was a return visit for him, since he came to the groundbreaking a little over two years ago at the Aurubis plant that will bring more than 200 jobs to the area.
It’s two years in the making, and Aurubis says they’re here to stay.
Where shovels once broke ground, there’s now a metal recycling plant.
“This site is a result of a lot of hard work,” said Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson.
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The 235 local jobs paying more than a livable wage are the important thing to keep in mind, Kemp told News 12.
“We want to bring jobs that are paying above the average county wage. And certainly these jobs are,” said Kemp.
They say they are working with technical colleges in Augusta and Aiken and Richmond County schools, providing nearly 200,000 in scholarships.
They’re also working with local organizations like United Way and Golden Harvest.
The plant owned by a German company will be the first of its kind in the U.S.
At the time of the groundbreaking, the $320 million price tag it as ’s all-time largest investment in Georgia.
Even though it’s bringing jobs and business, there are concerns about the environmental impact.
At the time of the groundbreaking in June 2022, the Savannah Riverkeeper said it wasn’t worth the risk of pollution in the air.
“I think the potential for recycling companies to harm people, not only is it extremely real, we have a history of it here in Augusta Hyde Park,” Tonya Bonitatibus is with the Savannah Riverkeeper said on Friday.
From Augusta, the company plans to produce materials found in lithium-ion batteries and other electronics.
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The company says the facility will process more than 180,000 tons of complex recycling materials a year. The metals are used in countless modern-day essentials, from mobile phones and computers to power plants and electric vehicles.
Aurubis is a global provider of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide. The company processes complex metal concentrates, scrap metals, organic and inorganic metal-bearing recycling materials and industrial residues into metals.
The company produces more than 1 million tons of copper cathodes annually, and from them makes a variety of products such as wire rod, continuous cast shapes, profiles and flat rolled products.
Aurubis produces a number of other metals, as well, including precious metals, selenium, lead, nickel, tin and zinc. The portfolio also includes additional products such as sulfuric acid and iron silicate.
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According to Aurubis’ website, their production is carried out with very high environmental protection standards to maintain a clean environment.
The American Lung Association says this year Augusta is one of the worst places for particle pollution.
Bonitatibus says she feels Augusta isn’t the best place for the plant.
“Maybe they should go to Evans. Maybe they should go to West Augusta,” she said.
Aurubis says they expect to be fully staffed with every position filled by the middle of 2025.
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