Spectro Alloys invests $71 million for high-end aluminium recycling equipment at its Minnesota facility

Spectro Alloys is backing an investment worth $71 million to incorporate new aluminium recycling equipment in its Rosemount, Minnesota compound. One of the US's largest aluminium recyclers is eager to amplify its ability to sort and melt post-consumer scrap aluminium and cast it into different billet alloys and sheets.

Sustainability is the need of the hour, with significant world unions working towards a greener future. This expansion will be crucial for the company as the demand for recycled aluminium sheets and sustainable extrusion materials that adhere to green building standards is rising daily. With the $71 million expansion, Spectro will be able to bridge the gap between the domestic supply chain and production, relying heavily on the cost cuts attributed to recycled aluminium. The new project will be fully operational by 2025, while the brickwork will commence in 2024.

This year, Spectro Alloys announced the expansion of its Rosemount campus to a vast 42-acre site and claimed to construct a new 90,000 sq. ft. unit along Highway 55. The first phase of this project will result in a significant boost in recycling capacity of up to 120 million pounds per year while also creating around 50 new full-time roles. This milestone expansion coincides with Spectro Alloys' 50th anniversary this year.

The recycled billet and sheet ingot produced by Spectro Alloys serve as essential raw materials for extruders, enabling them to create a wide range of products such as window and door trim, structural components for boats, aeroplanes, and cars, railings, docks, and much more. In addition, this innovative facility will also recycle end-of-life aluminium products, including used beverage containers, to produce sheet ingot - high-purity aluminium slabs weighing up to 60,000 pounds - which act as a vital feedstock for rolling mills.

Currently, only 45 per cent of aluminium beverage containers in Minnesota are being recycled, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Spectro Alloys' investment will help promote more recycling by unlocking greater value through reuse, providing significant environmental benefits, and creating a positive environmental impact. Spectro Alloys' recycling process uses 95 per cent less energy and releases 95 per cent less CO2 than new aluminium production. With this expansion, aluminium recycling at Spectro Alloys will save enough energy to power every home in Minneapolis and St. Paul combined.

With the new investment, the facility will become home to the best-in-class equipment for sorting, melting, casting and homogenising aluminium scrap. It should be mentioned that Spectro is willing to follow all the essential ESG guidelines in bringing this new recycling giant to shape.