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Aurubis AG (formerly Norddeutsche Affinerie AG) is a global supplier of non-ferrous metals and one of the world's largest copper recyclers. The company processes complex metal concentrates, scrap, organic and inorganic metal-bearing recycling materials, and industrial residues into metals. Aurubis produces a variety of copper products, such as wire rods, continuous cast shapes, profiles, and flat rolled products. Aurubis also produces a range of other metals, including precious metals such as selenium, lead, nickel, tin, and zinc. The portfolio includes other products, such as sulfuric acid and iron silicate.
Aurubis has about 7,000 employees, European and USA production sites, and a worldwide sales network. Its shares are listed in the Prime Standard Segment of the German Stock Exchange, the MDAX, the Global Challenges Index (GCX), and the STOXX Europe 600.
From around 1830, Hamburg shipowners began to bring copper ore back from North and South America on the return voyages of their emigrant ships, creating a lucrative market. Over time, production shifted to the smelting of ores.
After the great fire of Hamburg (1842), demand for metals rose again, especially for copper as a non-combustible building material, for example for roofs. In 1846, Joh. Ces. Godeffroy & Sohn acquired a stake in Beit, Marcus und Salomon, Gold- und Silberscheider, the forerunner of Aurubis. The joint company was called Elbkupferwerk. An economic upswing led to the founding of Elbhütten-Affinier- und Handelsgesellschaft in 1856, whereby the Elbkupferwerk and Beit's main plant were merged. Around 1860, the new company accounted for more than 50% of total German copper production with around 3000 tons per year. From 1857 to 1864/1865, due to collapsing demand, falling metal prices and declining ore returns, the plant's activities were first successively curtailed and finally shut down completely. Together with Norddeutsche Bank, a consortium led by Ferdinand Beit founded Norddeutsche Affinerie AG on April 28, 1866 and took over the now closed Beit's maint plant. Norddeutsche Bank was the main shareholder of the new company with 75% of the shares.
In the course of the foundation of the German Reich in 1871 and the introduction of the Reich-wide single currency Mark in 1873, the company returned to the affination of coins, as previously issued coins had to be recycled to a certain extent. In 1908, the expansion and relocation of the Norddeutsche Affinerie to the Peute, an industrial area in today's Veddel, began. The final move and complete demolition of the old plants and facilities took place in 1913. During this upheaval, the new major shareholders Frankfurter Metallbank and Metallurgische Gesellschaft and Deutsche Gold- und Silber-Scheideanstalt (later Degussa) joined in, whereupon Norddeutsche Bank's shareholding was reduced to 50%.
After the end of World War I in 1918, the Norddeutsche Affinerie was affected by the transition to a peacetime economy, labor , high inflation and outdated equipment. In 1921, major investments were made in the site. In 1926, the British Metal Corporation acquired a 26% stake in Norddeutsche Affinerie, while two years later 51% of Chemiefabrik J. E. Devrient AG was acquired and incorporated into the Group. Despite the Great Depression starting in 1929, the company proved resilient and was able to expand its product range.
After the National Socialists came to power (1933), the company experienced a massive upswing. At the same time, three people of Jewish descent, Richard Merton, Julius Levisohn and Heinrich Wohlwill, had to resign from the board of directors. With Wilhelm Avieny from Metallgesellschaft and Hermann Schlosser from Degussa, two people who were closely linked to Nazism took over leading positions on the Supervisory board in 1939. On the eve of the World War II, the company covered half of Germany's copper consumption and employed around 1,450 people.
From 1940, the Norddeutsche Affinerie was involved in the processing of looted gold that had been extorted from Jewish owners. The company also played a leading role in a so-called metal donation from the German people and, in addition to voluntary donations, also melted down expropriated grave crosses, fountains, monuments and church bells.The bombing raids of Operation Gomorrah (July and August 1943) hit the factory rather indirectly: although the factory suffered a few bomb hits, the damage was limited compared to other areas of the city. Nevertheless, operations were at times at a standstill because large parts of the population and workforce had left Hamburg and only gradually returned. The damage caused by an air raid on November 4, 1944 was much more serious, and operations at the Norddeutsche Affinerie did not restart until the end of the war. 100 Jahre Norddeutsche Affinerie, Hamburg 1966, pp. 78–80.
During the World War II, Norddeutsche Affinerie was an important supplier for the arms industry and used forced laborers in production. At its peak in July 1944, 806 forced laborers were employed out of a total workforce of around 1900, although an offer of a further 1,000 to 1,500 forced laborers from the Neuengamme concentration camp was rejected.
The “Wirtschaftswunder” followed with the Marshall Plan in 1947 and the subsequent Currency Reform of 1948, which helped Norddeutsche Affinerie to regain its former size.For the investments and innovations made, see 125 Jahre Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg 1991, p. 78 f. and 90 f. International supplier relationships were also re-established. 100 Jahre Norddeutsche Affinerie, Hamburg 1966, pp. 85–89. From the beginning of the 1960s, Norddeutsche Affinerie hired due to the labour shortage in the West Germany. 100 Jahre Norddeutsche Affinerie, Hamburg 1966, p. 90 f. In 1973, the company employed around 3,000 people; 38.5 percent were foreign workers. 125 Jahre Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg 1991, p. 91.
From 1969, international projects and investments were made, such as in the Otavi Mining Company, Transvaal Alloys and Grasberg mine. 125 Jahre Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg 1991, p. 91 and 102. In 1975, the company founded the joint venture Deutsche Giessdraht GmbH together with the copper producer Codelco and the German Hüttenwerke Kayser from Lünen. Hüttenwerke Kayser AG. Vor 125 Jahren in Berlin gegründet. Handelsblatt, March 21, 1986.
In July 1998, Norddeutsche Affinerie went public, with 70% of the shares being transferred to the Public float, while the main shareholders Inmet Mining, Mount Isa Holding and Degussa each held 10% of the remaining shares. Kupferaktie im Angebot. Titel der Norddeutschen Affinerie kommen zu 22 bis 26 Mark. Frankfurter Rundschau, June 25, 1998, p. 14.
In June 2020, Aurubis completed the acquisition of the Belgian-Spanish Metallo Group. In 2022, part of the Flat Rolled Products Division was sold to KME SE for around EUR 63 million. The sale included the sites in Zutphen (Netherlands) and the cutting centers in Birmingham (United Kingdom), Dolný Kubín (Slovakia) and Mortara (Italy) with a total of around 360 employees. Aurubis schließt Verkauf von vier Spartenstandorten ab. Intek-Tochter KME übernimmt 360 Beschäftigte. Börsen-Zeitung, August 2, 2022. In the same year, the company announced an investment of around EUR 200 million in a pilot plant and later a plant for battery recycling at the Hamburg site. Aurubis plant Anlage für Batterie-Recycling. Börsen-Zeitung, Februyry 18, 2022, p. 10.
In May 2023, a serious industrial accident occurred at Aurubis's primary copper smelter plant in Hamburg. Following a nitrogen leak during regular maintenance, three fatalities were reported. In June 2023, it became known that Aurubis had apparently been systematically and extensively robbed by employees and for years. The loss amount was in the low three-digit million range. The previous Executive Board members, with the exception of Inge Hofkens, who was only appointed in 2023, had to leave their posts. In September 2024, the reorganization of the Executive Board was completed.
Anodenschlammanlage Aurubis AG Hamburg 2025.jpg|Building for anode sludge processing in Hamburg
Aurubis Richmond 2024.jpg|Richmond site, Georgia (USA)
Kupfer-Rundbarren aus der Stranggussanlage von Aurubis - Hamburg.jpg|Continuous casting storage area in Hamburg
Cu-Scheibe.JPG|Cross section of an Aurubis copper billet
Share allocation (Status: April 29, 2025):
Nussir, a Norway mining company, planned to build the world's first carbon-neutral copper mine north of the Arctic Circle, on the Repparfjorden. It planned to supply the copper ore extracted there to Aurubis. The Sami people living there protested against this together with environmental and human rights organizations and prevailed. Aurubis cited “certain social aspects” as the reason for its withdrawal in 2021.
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