Cutting-Edge Technology
Plans are in the works for extensive expansions of aluminum recycling operations at Spectro Alloys and Sortera Technologies, costing millions.
Making waves in the recycling industry, Sortera Technologies is utilizing AI, data analytics, and sensors to sort aluminum scrap. With an investment from RA Capital Management-Planetary Health totaling $30.5 million, the firm has taken a major step forward in its efforts to commercialize its ground-breaking technology on a larger scale.
In just two-and-a-half years, the company has developed advanced technology capable of accurately and quickly categorizing aluminum in its pre-production phase, as well as post-consumer mixed metals. Currently in its initial stages, it has begun development on a full-scale facility located in Markle, Indiana. By 2023’s end, the project should be completed and capable of recycling approximately 220 million pounds of mixed metals per year.
A New Facility in Texas
Sortera also recently opened a research facility in Austin, Texas, which will serve as the base for furthering development of its sorting platform. The freshly acquired funding will allow Sortera to extend its operations to more areas across North America, as stated by an official press release.
Also in the press release, Sortera Technologies CEO, Michael Siemer, has expressed his excitement that the funding round “affirms our contributions towards global sustainable efforts and will be used to scale our operations to commercialization, grow our team, and, most importantly, continue to provide high-quality upcycled metal materials to our customer base.”
According to him, the company is “perfectly situated to seize the momentum and success of our technology platform and talented research team to expand our recycling capabilities into additional key materials and industrial applications.”
Increasing Capacity to Existing Efforts
Spectro Alloys, located within the borders of Minnesota, is set to begin a $71 million expansion on its Rosemount recycling facility. The project should break ground by 2024 to make room for a substantial 90,000-square-foot building where aluminum recycling equipment will be housed. This new machinery will allow the organization to sort and melt post-consumer scrap aluminum which will be later cast into diverse alloys forms such as sheet and billet.
With a goal of raising recycling rates in the state, a plant expansion is planned for 2025 with a target of bringing 120 million pounds of recycled aluminum sheet to market. A press release indicated that this will be achieved by adding more capacity to existing recycling efforts.
New Recycling Goals in Minnesota
This month, Spectro Alloys president Luke Palen declared that, “as we celebrate 50 years of responsible aluminum recycling this month, we’re looking toward the future and the opportunity to improve recycling in Minnesota.”
Further stating, “This investment isn’t just about adding jobs and producing more, it’s about helping Minnesota as a whole become better at recycling by creating an extremely valuable type of aluminum that manufacturers need.”
“It is about closing the loop for locally sourced materials – ensuring the value in aluminum products we use every day supports responsible recycling of aluminum right here in Minnesota.”
The firm also newly constructed an expansive 70,000-square-foot distribution facility for “processing finished products, upgraded its air filtration and pollution control systems, and renovated its business office and internal facilities.”
