Montanwerke Brixlegg

What Montanwerke Brixlegg does

Montanwerke Brixlegg AG is an Austrian privately-held copper recycling company headquartered in Brixlegg, with documented origins in copper and silver smelting dating to 1463. Since 1977 the company has operated exclusively on recycled copper and secondary raw materials, with zero primary ore inputs, and is the only copper foundry in Austria and a rare 100% upcycling operation in Europe. Its core technology is electrolysis-based hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical refining that converts copper-containing scrap into LME Grade A copper cathodes, complemented by an Asarco shaft furnace, an anode furnace, and certified chemical recovery of precious metals and specialty by-products. Current cathode copper electrolysis capacity is 150,000 metric tons per year following a 2022 expansion that set a new company record, with wholly-owned subsidiary Kovohuty, a.s. (Krompachy, Slovakia, acquired 2002) adding ~48,000 metric tons of anode copper capacity from secondary raw materials for further finishing at Brixlegg.

The product portfolio spans copper cathodes marketed under the LME-registered BRX brand and its premium sub-brands (BRX COPPER PLUS, BRX GREEN, BRX GREEN PLUS), copper billets and cakes in oxygen-bearing, oxygen-free, and phosphorus-bearing alloy grades, and by-products including gold, silver, platinum and palladium, nickel sulphate, iron silicate stone (GRANOS), copper oxychloride, magnesium sulphate, and a proprietary copper-based fungicide (Flowbrix). All 150,000 mt/year of cathode capacity is supported by 100% renewable electricity, of which 18.1 million kWh/year (~20–25% of demand) is generated by three owned hydroelectric plants (Montanwerke Brixlegg Wasserkraftwerke GmbH, Alpbach). BRX GREEN and BRX GREEN PLUS carry an independently certified carbon footprint of 0.629 kg CO2eq/kg copper from TÜV SÜD, with recycled content verified by SCS Global Services, enabling customers to claim up to 87% CO2 reduction against the global virgin-copper benchmark in their Scope 3 reporting. Certifications include ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001, LME Grade A registration, and EFB waste management certification.

Montanwerke Brixlegg is privately held under a Swiss-Austrian industrial group: 99% is owned by UMCOR Holding GmbH (Vienna), with the remaining 1% held directly by UMCOR AG (Zurich), following the April 2012 acquisition that grouped the company with French sister Gindre Duchavany S.A. The company employs 350+ staff at Brixlegg and 150–170 at Kovohuty. Its business model is sales-led direct B2B, targeting sustainability managers and procurement buyers across five segments — mobility (EVs, charging infrastructure), telecommunications and electronics, renewable energy, construction, and resilient energy networks (grid expansion) — with global distribution by road, rail, and overseas container. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Montanwerke Brixlegg

Legal name

Montanwerke Brixlegg AG

Website

https://montanwerke-brixlegg.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Montanwerke Brixlegg AG is a privately-held Austrian copper recycler (founded 1463) producing LME Grade A copper cathodes, billets, and certified low-carbon specialty products from 100% recycled materials for global B2B customers in mobility, electronics, renewables, and construction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copper Recycling & Refining

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Brokerage (Aluminum, Copper, Brass/Bronze, Lead, Zinc, Nickel) (IMAKAMAB)

Keywords

• Copper recycling
• Copper cathodes
• Copper billets
• Recycled copper production
• Scrap metal processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brixlegg

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Recycled Copper Cathode Sales: Sale of LME Grade A copper cathodes produced from 100% recycled secondary raw materials. This is the core product line, with cathodes used in wire, cable, and industrial applications.
2. Copper Billets and Foundry Products: Sale of copper billets, cakes, and other semi-finished copper products in various alloy grades (oxygen-bearing, oxygen-free, phosphor-bearing, and alloy variants) for casting, extrusion, and fabrication customers.
3. Precious Metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium): Recovery and sale of precious metals extracted during the copper recycling process from scrap and metal-containing materials.
4. By-Products (Nickel Sulphate, Iron Silicate Stone, Copper Oxychloride): Sale of specialty by-products including nickel sulphate, iron silicate stone (GRANOS), copper oxychloride, and magnesium sulphate generated during the upcycling process.
5. Flowbrix Fungicide: Sale of Flowbrix, a proprietary copper-based fungicide for plant protection and organic farming applications, representing a unique downstream product from the copper upcycling process.
6. Raw Material Take-Back and Circular Services: The company buys back customers' production scraps and offers direct upcycling to Grade A cathodes, keeping valuable resources in closed-loop circular economy cycles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Montanwerke Brixlegg AG produces LME Grade A copper cathodes, billets, and cakes from 100% recycled copper-bearing scrap and secondary raw materials at its Brixlegg (Austria) plant, supported by its Kovohuty a.s. subsidiary in Slovakia. The company sells these copper products under brands including BRX, BRX COPPER PLUS, BRX GREEN, and BRX GREEN PLUS, alongside recovered precious metals (gold, silver) and by-products such as nickel sulphate and iron silicate stone. Production is powered by 100% renewable electricity, including output from owned hydroelectric plants, and is marketed to mobility, electronics, renewable energy, construction, and energy infrastructure customers.

Product overview

Montanwerke Brixlegg operates as a copper upcycling company with a vertically integrated product portfolio centered on 100% recycled copper. The core products include copper cathodes (under BRX COPPER PLUS, BRX GREEN, and BRX GREEN PLUS brands) and copper billets/cakes available in various alloy grades (oxygen-bearing ETP, oxygen-free OF/OFE, phosphorus-bearing PHC/DLP/DHP/DXP, silver-bearing variants, and specialty alloys). The upcycling process generates complementary by-products including precious metals (gold and silver), nickel sulphate, iron silicate stone (GRANOS), and specialty chemicals (Flowbrix fungicide, copper oxychloride, magnesium sulphate). The company subsidiary Kovohuty a.s. in Slovakia produces anode copper that feeds into the Brixlegg refining operations. All primary copper products carry LME Grade A certification and BRX GREEN/BRX GREEN PLUS variants feature independently certified carbon footprints of 0.629 kg CO2eq/kg copper.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BRX: The BRX brand registered on the London Metal Exchange, known worldwide. Includes product lines such as BRX COPPER PLUS, BRX GREEN, and BRX GREEN PLUS.
• BRX GREEN
• BRX GREEN PLUS
• BRX COPPER PLUS
• Flowbrix

Products and services

• Copper Cathodes (BRX, BRX COPPER PLUS, BRX GREEN, BRX GREEN PLUS) High-purity LME Grade A copper cathodes produced from 100% recycled copper-bearing scrap, sold under the LME-registered BRX brand with sub-brands BRX COPPER PLUS (exceeding LME Grade A), BRX GREEN and BRX GREEN PLUS (independently TÜV SÜD certified at 0.629 kg CO2eq/kg copper, enabling up to 87% CO2 reduction attribution). Used by industrial B2B customers in wire, cable, and industrial applications.
• Copper Billets (Bolzen) Cast copper billets produced through the upcycling process, available in various oxygen-bearing, oxygen-free, and phosphorus-bearing grades (e.g., MB-ETP/Cu-ETP, MB-OFN/Cu-OF, MB-OF101, MB-P series). Sold to industrial casting, extrusion, and fabrication customers.
• Copper Cakes (Walzplatten) Cast copper cakes for further processing, available in ETP, OF, and phosphorus-bearing alloy grades. Sold to industrial customers for further fabrication.
• Specialty Copper Alloys Specialty copper alloys including MB-ETP/Cu-ETP, MB-OFN/Cu-OF, MB-OF101 certified, MB-P series, MB-Ag variants with silver content, MB-CuSP, MB-TeP, and CuSn0.15 for various industrial applications.
• Precious Metals (Gold and Silver) High-purity gold and silver recovered as by-products from copper-containing scrap and waste materials during the upcycling process, with independently TÜV SÜD certified product carbon footprints and SCS recycled-content certification (SCS-RC-21181 for gold, SCS-RC-21180 for silver).
• Kovohuty Anode Copper Anode copper produced by subsidiary Kovohuty a.s. in Krompachy, Slovakia (~48,000 metric tons/year) from copper-containing secondary raw materials. Serves as upstream feedstock further processed into LME Grade A cathodes at the Brixlegg plant.
• Nickel Sulphate Nickel sulphate hexahydrate produced as a specialty by-product from the copper recycling process, with TÜV SÜD certified product carbon footprint.
• Iron Silicate Stone (GRANOS) Iron silicate stone generated as a by-product of copper smelting and refining, marketed as GRANOS for various industrial applications.
• Flowbrix Fungicide Proprietary copper-based fungicide for plant protection and organic farming applications, developed as a downstream product from the copper upcycling process.
• Copper Oxychloride Technical copper oxychloride produced as a specialty chemical product from the upcycling process.
• Magnesium Sulphate Magnesium sulphate solution produced as a by-product from the copper recycling and refining operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 reduction of up to 87% compared to global average copper production
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Gindre Duchavany S.A.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2012On 4 April 2012, Montanwerke Brixlegg Aktiengesellschaft and Gindre Duchavany S.A. in Pont de Chéruy, France (along with their subsidiaries) were acquired by UMCOR Holding GmbH, Vienna. Gindre Duchavany was part of the group acquisition under UMCOR Holding.
• Kovohuty, a.s.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Montanwerke Brixlegg AG acquired the copper foundry Kovohuty, a.s. in Krompachy, Slovakia in 2002. Kovohuty employs 150-170 staff and produces approximately 48,000 metric tons of anode copper annually from copper-containing secondary raw materials. This copper is further processed into cathodes at the Brixlegg plant, representing a core upstream integration.
• Montanwerke Brixlegg Wasserkraftwerke GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontanwerke Brixlegg AG holds 100% of Montanwerke Brixlegg Wasserkraftwerke GmbH, which operates three small hydroelectric plants in Alpbach with total capacity of 18.1 million kWh. This subsidiary supplies approximately 20-25% of the parent company's electricity needs, representing a core energy self-sufficiency and sustainability partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• KME SE: Italian-headquartered European producer of copper and copper alloy semi-finished products (rods, tubes, sheets). Competes with Montanwerke Brixlegg in supplying copper semis to similar European industrial customers across automotive, electrical, and construction end-markets.
• Aurubis AG: Europe's largest copper smelter and recycler, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Aurubis operates multi-metal smelting with substantial copper recycling, producing copper cathodes and by-products, making it the closest direct competitor to Montanwerke Brixlegg in copper refining/recycling.
• Wieland Group: Germany-based leading manufacturer of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products (strips, sheets, rods, tubes, wires). Comparable as a major European copper processor serving automotive, electronics, and industrial markets with branded copper products.
• Boliden AB: Swedish mining and smelting company operating the Rönnskär copper smelter with significant recycled copper processing alongside base metal extraction. Directly comparable in copper refining technology, by-product recovery, and integrated smelting/recycling operations.
• Gindre Duchavany S.A. French copper products manufacturer and sister company within the UMCOR Holding group (acquired jointly with Montanwerke in 2012). Highly comparable as part of the same corporate family producing copper semis in Pont de Chéruy for European industrial customers.
• Diehl Metall Stiftung & Co. KG: German manufacturer of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products (strips, bars, rods, profiles). Direct peer in processing copper into semi-finished forms for industrial applications, serving overlapping European customer base.
• ElvalHalcor SA: Greece-based copper and aluminium rolling and processing group producing copper tubes, rods, and rolled products. Comparable European copper semi-finished product manufacturer serving HVAC, plumbing, and industrial customers with similar product portfolio mix.
• Atlantic Copper S.A.U. Spanish copper smelter and refinery (Huelva) owned by Freeport-McMoRan, producing copper cathodes from primary and secondary feedstocks. Comparable in copper smelting/refining technology and cathode output, although with mixed primary/secondary feed versus Montanwerke's 100% secondary model.

Broad incumbents

• Nexans SA: French global leader in cable and wiring solutions using copper as key input. Major downstream customer category for Montanwerke Brixlegg's cathode copper; comparable as a European-headquartered industrial copper value-chain incumbent pursuing low-carbon copper sourcing.

Others

• Umicore SA: Belgian materials technology group with significant recycling and refining of precious and specialty metals. Adjacent peer in non-ferrous metals refining/recycling with comparable sustainability positioning, though more focused on catalyst materials and battery chemicals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montanwerke Brixlegg