Polish firm Virtus launches mobile containers to recover critical metals from slag heaps

Virtus Group, a Polish company, is developing a mobile technology that fits into several containers which can be loaded onto trucks and moved from one slag heap to another. The system performs pre‑treatment, crushing, leaching in acid and electrochemical reactions to extract critical metals directly from the waste material, aiming to avoid the construction of large processing plants. According to Andrzej Kensbok, vice‑president of Virtus and former board member of KGHM Polska Miedź, the approach follows a century‑old method but is modernised for mobility, allowing processing to occur where the ore lies. The company plans to launch its first commercial installation by the end of the year, though the timeline is uncertain. Recovery rates are reported at up to 99 % of the original mass, with the remaining material re‑deposited on site after treatment.