Spain advances circular economy with new industrial waste projects

Spain is advancing its circular economy through two major industrial waste projects. In Zaragoza, the municipal government has approved the tender for a new waste valorization plant located near the current Urban Waste Treatment Complex (CTRUZ). The facility aims to process approximately 150,000 tons of non-recyclable waste annually, converting it into industrial products such as methanol, hydrogen, and other fuels. The project involves a minimum investment of 162 million euros with a 30-year contract valued at nearly 2.1 billion euros.

In Huelva, Atlantic Copper has inaugurated CirCular, a new plant dedicated to recovering essential metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Representing an investment of over 550 million euros, the facility is the first of its kind in southern Europe. It is designed to process up to 60,000 tons of electronic waste per year to recover critical materials including copper, gold, silver, palladium, platinum, and nickel. The project has been recognized as strategic by the European Commission and the Junta de Andalucía for its role in strengthening the European supply chain for raw materials.