JGI and Hydrometal

Name

JGI and Hydrometal

Legal name

Jean Goldschmidt International S.A.

Website

https://jgi-hydrometal.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

JGI and Hydrometal is a privately-held European industrial recycler that uses hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes to recover and valorize 20+ non-ferrous metals from complex secondary materials for industrial clients across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling

NAICS

Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing (3314)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers) (EUAIAJAJ), Leaching & Hydrometallurgical Beneficiation (Heap/Dump/Vat; Bioleaching) (IMAKALAE), Hazardous Waste Recycling & Recovery (Solvent Recovery, Oil Re-refining, Metals Recovery) (EUAIAFAI), Ash, Slag & Residue Handling and Valorization (Bottom ash, fly ash, metals recovery) (EUAAAKAJ)

Keywords

• Non-ferrous metal recycling
• Hydrometallurgical processing
• Pyrometallurgical processing
• Secondary materials valorization
• Industrial metal recovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Brunelles

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Recycling and Valorization Services: JGI-HYDROMETAL generates revenue by processing and valorizing complex secondary materials containing non-ferrous metals for industrial clients. Services are tailored to client needs, accepting diverse feedstocks including concentrates, by-products, slag, complex secondary materials, residues, filter dust, spent catalysts, alloys, drosses, waste, sludge, and filter cakes. The company recovers and sells back a wide range of metals including base metals (zinc, lead, copper, nickel), precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium), minor metals, and rare earth elements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

JGI-HYDROMETAL is an industrial recycling group that processes non-ferrous metal-bearing residues, by-products, and secondary raw materials through hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes. The company accepts complex feedstocks (concentrates, slags, drosses, filter dust, spent catalysts, alloys, sludge, filter cakes, electronic waste, battery residues) and recovers 20+ metals including base metals (zinc, lead, copper, nickel), precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium), minor metals, and rare earth elements, which it sells back into the production cycle. Operations span five entities across Europe and Asia, with a unique plasma furnace in Europe for advanced recycling of green economy waste.

Product overview

JGI-HYDROMETAL operates as a circular economy company offering integrated recycling services for non-ferrous metals through a network of five entities across two continents. The portfolio combines hydrometallurgical processing (at HYDROMETAL Belgique in Engis and HYDROMETAL France in Dunkerque) with pyrometallurgical operations (at JGI Thailand and HARZ OXID in Germany). Core offerings include material processing and valorization, custom R&D and pilot testing services, high-purity tin production, and international metal trading. The company handles over 20 different non-ferrous metals including base metals, precious metals, minor metals, and rare earths, with recent investment in plasma furnace technology for advanced recycling capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrometallurgical Recycling Services Processing of complex secondary materials containing non-ferrous metals through selective dissolution, precipitation, cementation, electrolysis, and ion exchange resin extraction techniques. For industrial clients with metal-bearing residues, by-products, and waste streams.
• Pyrometallurgical Recycling Services High-temperature smelting and refining of non-ferrous metal-bearing materials at facilities in Thailand and Germany (Harz Oxid). For industrial clients with complex feedstocks requiring pyrometallurgical processing.
• Plasma Furnace Recycling Services Plasma furnace recycling of non-ferrous metals operating at temperatures comparable to the surface of the sun, designed for treating waste from the green economy, electrical and electronic waste, battery residues, catalysts, and permanent magnets, with capability to recover high-value metals including rare earth elements and other strategic materials.
• R&D Services and Pilot Testing Custom research and development services including feasibility studies, pilot line testing, and process development tailored to specific client materials and recycling requirements. For industrial clients seeking process validation and bespoke recycling solutions.
• High-Purity Tin Production Production of high-purity tin (4N, 5N, low alpha) and tin-based alloys including Pb-Sn-Sb alloys, tin oxide, and hydroxide compounds. Sold to industrial buyers requiring high-grade tin inputs.
• Non-Ferrous Metals Trading International trading of non-ferrous metals including zinc, lead, copper, nickel, molybdenum, cobalt, precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium), germanium, antimony, and rare earth elements. The trading arm of the group based in Brussels.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CRM Group (Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques)coreTechnology or Integration · 17 May 2024CRM Group collaborated with HYDROMETAL to develop the plasma furnace technology inaugurated in May 2024. CRM contributed its metallurgical research expertise to the design and development of the unique plasma furnace capable of operating at temperatures comparable to the surface of the sun, for treating green economy waste, electronic waste, battery residues, and recovering rare earth elements.
• SILOXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002SILOX is the parent holding company under which the JGI-HYDROMETAL group was consolidated in 2002, unifying the trading and recycling operations under a single corporate structure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nyrstar: Multi-site zinc and lead smelter with European production footprint including Belgium. Direct competitor in non-ferrous secondary smelting and refining, with comparable metals coverage in zinc and lead.
• Befesa: European leader in recycling electric arc furnace (EAF) steel dust to recover zinc and other non-ferrous metals. Highly comparable as a specialist non-ferrous metal recycler operating hazardous-waste streams and selling recovered metals back into industry.
• Johnson Matthey: UK-based precious metals and catalyst refiner with recycling operations recovering PGMs and other strategic metals from spent catalysts and e-waste. Comparable on hydrometallurgical recovery of high-value metals from complex secondary materials.
• Heraeus: German precious-metals and technology group with major recycling operations recovering PGMs, silver, and other high-value metals from secondary materials. Comparable on precious-metals refining and high-temperature metallurgical processing relevant to the Engis plasma furnace and HARZ OXID assets.
• Ecobat: European leader in battery recycling with operations recovering lead and increasingly lithium-ion battery materials. Comparable as a hazardous-waste-licensed, European-focused secondary metals processor targeting the same battery-residue feedstock category as JGI-HYDROMETAL's plasma furnace.
• Umicore: Belgian-headquartered materials technology and recycling group with a major precious-metals and battery-materials recycling business. Closest geographic and product peer to JGI-HYDROMETAL, including overlap on PGMs, complex residues, and battery-recycling strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis: Europe's largest copper recycler and multi-metal smelter/refiner. Directly comparable as a non-ferrous metal recycling and refining operator; broader in scope (primary copper, copper products) but overlaps directly with JGI-HYDROMETAL on complex secondary feedstocks.
• Boliden: Swedish metals and mining group with integrated smelting and recycling operations across zinc, copper, and precious metals. Comparable on multi-metal secondary refining and European footprint, though larger and more vertically integrated into mining.

Emerging players

• DOWA Holdings: Japan-based non-ferrous metals producer with a strong recycling and environmental services division. Comparable on multi-metal recovery (including precious and minor metals) and Asian geographic footprint relevant to JGI Thailand.

Regional players

• Recylex: French recycler of lead, zinc, and polypropylene from used batteries and other industrial waste. Comparable as a European secondary non-ferrous metals processor with hazardous-waste handling expertise; smaller scale and more concentrated product mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jean-goldschmidt-international-sa

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 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 JGI and Hydrometal