CAESAR concludes successfully in May 2026: key advances in the valorisation of scrap and reject materials

In May 2026, CAESAR comes to a close — a far-reaching European project aimed at transforming the management and valorisation of post-consumer scrap through advanced sorting and recovery technologies. Its mission has focused on two core objectives:

Reducing impurities in post-consumer scrap prior to melting, through more precise shredding and sorting processes that enable the increased use of lower-grade scrap without compromising the quality of the final product.
Maximising the recovery and utilisation of reject materials — non-ferrous metals, carbon-bearing fractions and mineral fractions — promoting their reintegration into the steelmaking process or other industrial applications, thereby preventing the loss of valuable materials and reducing waste generation.

Over the 48-month duration of the project, REYDESA has worked intensively towards both objectives, reaching milestones of significant relevance for the sector:

Significant improvement in the quality of processed scrap
REYDESA has achieved a reduction in non-ferrous metal content in E1, E3, E40 and WEEE scrap grades, enabling the participating steelworks to incorporate ferrous scrap into their mix that was previously unusable. This has resulted in greater operational flexibility and the possibility of replacing part of the traditional scrap with more cost-effective alternatives, while maintaining the quality of the final steel product.
Obtaining high-purity non-ferrous metal concentrates
The project has made it possible to explore various treatment routes through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies for the production of high-purity aluminium and copper concentrates, exceeding 99% purity in the case of copper. The high-purity copper concentrates are currently being tested at ArcelorMittal France for direct integration into high value-added processes.
Recovery of carbon-bearing fractions with valorisation potential, as well as new utilisation routes for aspiration fractions from the shredding process, in collaboration with CRM.

CAESAR project funded by the European Community's Horizon 2020 Programme (RFCS) under Grant Agreement No. 101058520 – CAESAR – HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01