Befesa
- Company typePublic
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersRatingen, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Befesa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Befesa
- Legal name
- Befesa Medio Ambiente S.L.U.
- Website
- https://befesa.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Befesa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (331410), Primary Metal Manufacturing (331)
- SIC
- Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers) (EUAIAJAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Metals Recovery & Sorting Facilities (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (EUAIADAG), Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF), Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD)
Keywords
Where Befesa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ratingen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices30 records
Markets served
Befesa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Steel Dust Recycling Services: Processing steel dust from electric arc furnaces through hydrometallurgical techniques to recover zinc and other metals. Revenue generated through service fees for waste collection/treatment and sales of recovered zinc, iron, and lead alloys.
- Aluminum Salt Slags Recycling: Recycling salt slags collected from aluminum producers for service fees. Additional revenue from production and sale of secondary aluminum alloys.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Befesa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Befesa collects and recycles hazardous residues—primarily steel dust from electric arc furnaces and salt slags from secondary aluminum producers—to recover valuable metals including zinc, aluminum, iron, and lead using proprietary hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes such as the patented SDHL-Waelz kiln technology. The company operates over 50 facilities worldwide across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, processing more than 2 million tons of steel dust annually with zinc recovery rates above 90%.
Product overview
Befesa operates as an industrial recycling company offering two main service segments: Steel Dust Recycling Services and Aluminium Salt Slags Recycling Services. The Steel Dust segment uses multiple proprietary metallurgical processes including the SDHL-Waelz Process, Plasma Process, and Submerged Arc Furnace Process to collect and recycle steel dust from electric arc furnaces, recovering zinc and other metals. The Aluminium segment recycles salt slags and produces secondary aluminium alloys. By-products include Waelz Oxide (WOX) sold to the zinc industry, and recovered iron and lead. The company operates over 50 facilities globally across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, processing over 2 million tons of steel dust annually with zinc recovery rates above 90%.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Steel Dust Recycling Services Collection and recycling of steel dust and other steel residues generated in the production of crude, stainless, and galvanised steel in electric arc furnaces (EAF), with recovery of zinc and other metals using hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes such as the patented SDHL-Waelz kiln.
- Aluminium Salt Slags Recycling Services Recycling of salt slags collected from secondary aluminium producers for a service fee, plus production of secondary aluminium alloys from aluminium residues for sale to customers in the automotive and packaging industries.
- Secondary Aluminium Alloys Secondary aluminium alloys produced from aluminium residues at Befesa's secondary aluminium plants in Germany, Spain, and Sweden. Sold to customers in automotive and packaging industries, with hot liquid aluminium delivered for direct application.
- Waelz Oxide (WOX) Secondary feed material recovered from the Waelz process and provided to the zinc industry for further processing. Produced at Waelz plants in Spain, Germany, and France with washing facilities for purification.
Quantifiable outcome
- Prevents around 2 million tonnes of residue from reaching landfills each year
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Befesa
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Befesa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Befesa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Silvermet (Canada)coreBefesa entered the Turkish market in 2010 through a 51/49% joint venture with Canadian company Silvermet. The plant in Iskenderun had an initial capacity of 65kt, expanded by 45kt in 2019 to reach 110kt total EAF steel dust recycling capacity. Turkey has attractive market conditions with 75-81% EAF share of steel production and good steel dust quality (zinc content >25%).
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Befesa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Glencore: Global mining and commodities trading company with major zinc and lead production including recycled feedstock operations. Comparable in commodity exposure to zinc prices, though much broader in scope including mining, trading, and energy.
- Boliden: Major Nordic metals producer with zinc, copper, and nickel operations including secondary material processing. Comparable to Befesa in non-ferrous smelting and recycling, though with a larger primary mining footprint and broader metals portfolio.
- Veolia Environnement: Global environmental services and waste management major with industrial hazardous waste treatment and metals recovery operations. Comparable to Befesa in waste management services and circular economy exposure, though much more diversified across water, waste, and energy.
- Suez Recycling and Recovery: European waste management and recycling services company with industrial hazardous waste operations. Comparable to Befesa in hazardous waste handling and metals recovery from industrial byproducts, with overlapping customer base in steel and manufacturing sectors.
Direct peers
- Dowa Holdings: Japanese non-ferrous metals and recycling company with zinc, copper, and precious metals recovery from EAF dust and electronic waste. Highly comparable to Befesa in hydrometallurgical recovery of zinc from steel industry residues across Asian markets.
- Korea Zinc: World's largest zinc and lead smelter with integrated recycling operations. Comparable to Befesa in zinc recovery technology and customer base serving steel galvanizers, with significant South Korean EAF dust recycling presence where Befesa also operates.
- Aurubis: European copper smelter and recycler with growing exposure to non-ferrous metal recovery from secondary feedstocks. Comparable to Befesa in multi-metal recycling and pyrometallurgical processing, with similar capital intensity and exposure to commodity price cycles.
- Nyrstar: Global multi-metals business with zinc and lead smelting operations, processing both mined concentrates and recycled feedstock. Highly comparable to Befesa in the zinc recovery and smelting value chain, though Nyrstar has a broader primary smelting footprint.
Regional players
- Sims Metal Management: Global scrap metal recycling company with significant ferrous and non-ferrous metals collection and processing operations. Comparable to Befesa in the metal recycling value chain, though focused on collection and primary processing rather than specialized hydrometallurgical recovery.
Emerging players
- Umicore: Belgian materials technology and recycling company with significant operations in precious and specialty metals recovery from secondary feedstocks. Comparable to Befesa in hydrometallurgical recovery processes and circular economy positioning, though focused on higher-value specialty metals.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Befesa social profiles
Digital presenceBefesa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Befesa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Befesa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries15 records
Befesa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Befesa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Befesa
What does Befesa do?
Befesa collects and recycles hazardous residues—primarily steel dust from electric arc furnaces and salt slags from secondary aluminum producers—to recover valuable metals including zinc, aluminum, iron, and lead using proprietary hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes such as the patented SDHL-Waelz kiln technology. The company operates over 50 facilities worldwide across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, processing more than 2 million tons of steel dust annually with zinc recovery rates above 90%.
Is Befesa a public or private company?
Befesa is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Befesa founded?
Befesa was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Befesa based?
Befesa is headquartered in Ratingen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Befesa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Steel Dust Recycling Services are the primary driver. The others are aluminum Salt Slags Recycling.
Who are Befesa's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Glencore, Boliden, Veolia Environnement and Suez Recycling and Recovery. Direct peers are Dowa Holdings, Korea Zinc, Aurubis and Nyrstar. Sims Metal Management is listed as a regional player. Umicore is listed as an emerging player.
Does Befesa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Befesa.
What industry is Befesa in?
Befesa's product category is Industrial Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAJAJ, Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers), with a secondary code of EUAIADAG, Metals Recovery & Sorting Facilities (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous). Its NAICS code is 331410 and its SIC code is 3341.