site.btaAurubis Completes Largest Maintenance Shutdown in 30 Years

Aurubis, a leading global provider of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide, has wrapped up the largest scheduled maintenance shutdown at its Bulgarian plant in three decades on schedule. Maintenance is a central component of the "Investment for Progress. Bulgaria 2027" investment program, worth BGN 800 million.

The company says on its website: “A key focus of the project was the complete renovation of the flash smelter — the core unit of the copper smelter. It has a throughput capacity of approximately 1.5 million tons of copper concentrate.  

300 tons of steel walls, cooling units, and 15 km of copper pipes were replaced as part of the overhaul. The new furnace lining incorporates over 1,500 tons of refractory bricks equivalent to the brickwork of around 40 single-family homes.

In addition, two electrostatic precipitators with a total weight of 900 tons were replaced to improve environmental performance at the Bulgarian site. A modular pre-assembly concept minimized the duration of the planned maintenance shutdown, and a 750-ton crawler crane, assembled and dismantled on site, was used for the replacement.   

The third core element was the most extensive modernization of sulfuric acid production since the early 2000s. A new converter was installed, and six heat exchangers were replaced — equipment with a combined weight exceeding 1,000 tons. Sulfuric acid is an important earnings driver in copper production.  

In addition to the maintenance shutdown, the four-year plan includes increasing tankhouse capacity by 50% to 340,000 tons per year, expanding the solar parks for the company's captive power supply (a comprehensive energy efficiency package), and targeted investments in optimizing slag and water treatment systems.