Purified Metal: Responsible processing of contaminated steel scrap into high-quality raw material
In the Netherlands, tens of thousands of tonnes of contaminated steel scrap are produced every year, for example from buildings, trains, ships and industrial installations. The steel can be contaminated with asbestos, chrome or other elements. Cleaning contaminated steel scrap for reuse is difficult and expensive, leading to steel being dumped in landfills and a valuable resource being lost.
The Purified Metal Company can responsibly process contaminated steel scrap into a high-quality raw material. The process has been patented and can separate the contaminants (including asbestos, mercury and Chromium 6) from the steel in a sustainable and cost-efficient way. Hazardous steel scrap is processed into Purified Metal Blocks (PMBs), which serve as a high-quality raw material for the steel and foundry industry.
Compared to factories that make steel from iron ore, this solution:
- reduces CO2 emissions by 50%.
- results in 150 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved per year – the same as the annual emissions of 45 000 passenger cars.