Through waste heat recovery

New recycling plant produces additional electricity

The recycling plant will start full operation at the beginning of 2025, but is already running this summer.(Bild: Felix Justich)

When it comes to recycling, the average citizen usually thinks of yellow bags, but for industry it is an important process. With its new recycling plant, Treibacher Industrie AG recovers valuable raw materials from old catalytic converters from the mineral oil industry.

"We will achieve a recycling rate of 99 percent with this new plant," explains Rene Haberl, CEO of Treibacher Industrie AG. "Nothing is wasted here. The waste heat from the processes is also converted into energy - this will enable us to cover around 15 percent of our total electricity requirements in future." Valuable metals and other raw materials are extracted from old catalytic converters and refined in the plants.

The catalytic converters are "roasted" in the rotary kiln (front photo), which weighs a good 150 tons.(Bild: Felix Justich)

Commissioning of the 120 million euro project will start in the summer; the plant will then be fully operational at the beginning of 2025 and "roast" catalytic converters at temperatures well above 1000 degrees Celsius. "It's the biggest project in recent decades," explains Haberl proudly. "Despite the difficult times, we will continue to invest." Carinthian companies were also specifically consulted for the construction, ultimately 40 percent. "A total of 2,200 tons of steel were used for the construction. The rotating pipe alone weighs a good 150 tons," emphasizes project manager Christoph Pressen.

When it comes to the service life, Treibacher CEO Haberl is guided by the old plant: "It's been in operation since the 1970s, so it should last more than 40 years." His focus is also on the future in other respects: "We are increasingly producing 'Better Life' products, for example for the medical sector."