£41m copper recycling plant opens in Kent

The new facility was officially opened by the Mayor of Gravesham, councillor Jenny Wallace

A new £41m recycling plant with the capacity to process up to 25,000 tonnes of copper bearing waste a year has opened in Kent.

Lead producer Britannia Refined Metals (BRM) said it created the Northfleet facility in a bid to diversify its operations after the country's last copper refinery closed in 1999.

The new plant was officially opened on Friday by the Mayor of Gravesham, councillor Jenny Wallace, who said it has "breathed new life into industrial north Kent".

"It is a mark of confidence that the latest metal reclamation technology is based here," she said.

BRM development engineer Paul Odendaal is responsible for setting up the copper recycling plant

According to BRM, the plant aims to boost the recycling of copper and other precious metals from waste electrical and electrical equipment.

Development engineer Paul Odendaal described the facility as an "urban mine" which is designed to reuse "valuable materials that are contained in everyday appliances".

Mr Odendaal explained the process, using the example of a discarded appliance.

"The council will take the appliance, they will send it to a local recycler who will strip it, we then take the copper bearing parts from the local recycler, and we value it, and we send it away, and we get it processed into metal," he said.

When fully operational, the new facility is expected to employ approximately 20 people in a combination of operational, engineering and management roles.

BRM has an existing workforce of around 150 people in Kent.

Mr Odendaal added: "We are proud to have made this investment here in Kent, where BRM has been part of the local community for nearly a century."