Joint Venture Backs Ames Copper Group Secondary Copper Smelter
Ames Copper Group (ACG)โa joint venture between U.S.-basedย Prime Materials Recovery, Inc. (PMR)ย and Spainโsย CuNext Groupโplans to build a newย Ames Copper Group secondary copper smelterย in North Carolina, USA. The project will create a modern recycling hub that turns copper scrap into high-purity copper anodes for North American manufacturers.
According to project details,ย SMS groupย will supply the core smelting equipment. The plant will have the capacity to process up toย 50,000 tons of copper anodes per year, making it the first secondary copper recycling facility in the U.S. to produce copper anodes from copper scrap and copper fines. Startup is scheduled for this year.
Meeting U.S. Demand for Custom Copper Anodes
โThe manufacturing industry is critical to our success as a nation, and this will be the only smelter in the U.S. manufacturing custom copper anodes,โ saidย Bernard Schilberg, CEO of PMR. He explained that Chinaโs restrictions on copper scrap imports have created an oversupply in the U.S. market, while demand for copper anodes in North America continues to grow.
These market shifts prompted PMR and CuNext to launch the joint venture. Schilberg noted that ACG will use advanced, efficient technology so it can compete globally with other copper anode producers.
PMR and CuNext Combine Recycling and Refining Expertise
Based inย East Hartford, Connecticut, PMR operates processing facilities inย Canastota, New York; Willimantic, Connecticut; Orangeburg, South Carolina; and Hickory, North Carolina. PMR processes and brokers more thanย 35 million pounds of nonferrous metals each month. Its affiliate,ย IMC Metals Americaย inย Shelby, North Carolina, manufactures copper used in wiring, lightning rods, and defense applications.
Schilberg said thatย CuNextย contributes deep experience in copper mining and refining, while PMR brings long-standing expertise in direct melting of copper scrap. Together, they will feed the new smelter withย birch/cliff,ย No. 2 copper chopsย with at leastย 90% copper, and copper-bearing scrap and copper alloys with a minimum ofย 85% copper content. The plant will consume aboutย 54,000 tons of scrap annuallyย to produceย 50,000 tons of 99.7% copper custom anodes, with U.S. wire and cable manufacturers as key customers.
Advanced SMS Technology and Future-Ready Design
For the North Carolina facility,ย SMS groupย will supply aย tilting refining furnace,ย anode casting wheel,ย gas cleaning system, and the associatedย electrical and automation systems. This equipment will help ACG run efficient, high-yield operations while managing emissions and process controls.
The plant design also prepares for future upgrades, including additional digitalization features. This forward-looking approach will allow Ames Copper Group to improve process monitoring, optimize energy use, and adapt quickly to changing market and regulatory demands.
