Nickelhütte Aue

What Nickelhütte Aue does

Nickelhütte Aue GmbH is a German non-ferrous metal recycler and processor based in Aue-Bad Schlema in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), Saxony. Founded approximately 400 years ago, the company processes metal-containing waste streams — including metal scrap, catalysts, residues, dust, sludge, etching solutions, precious-metal-bearing materials, batteries, and PCB-free transformers — into secondary raw materials. It operates as part of the Jacob Metal Group, a diversified metals conglomerate.

The company's product portfolio spans six output categories: concentrates (Konzentrate), refined non-ferrous metals (Metalle), chemicals including nickel sulfate (Chemikalien), block alloys (Blocklegierungen), precious metals (Edelmetalle), and energy generation (Energie). Underlying technology is pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling integrated with alloy melting, supported by capital-intensive facilities the company describes as meeting the highest processing standards.

Nickelhütte Aue serves industrial B2B customers via direct sales across five verticals: Automotive (the primary segment), Chemical Industry/Oil/Gas, Electrical Industry, Metal Processing Industry, and Energy Generation/Storage. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with bespoke industrial recycling contracts. The company is a private GmbH with 251–500 employees and no public financials; revenue, ownership composition, and customer identities are not disclosed in available sources.

Name

Nickelhütte Aue

Legal name

Nickelhütte Aue GmbH

Website

https://nickelhuette-aue.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Nickelhütte Aue GmbH is a German non-ferrous metal recycler, founded c. 1600, processing metal scrap, catalysts, etching solutions, batteries, and PCB-free transformers into concentrates, metals, chemicals, alloys, and precious metals for automotive, chemical, electrical, metal processing, and energy customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Ferrous Metals Recycling and Processing

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing (3314), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers) (EUAIAJAJ), Industrial & Manufacturing Scrap Recycling (Factory Scrap, Turnings, Offcuts) (IMAKAMAE), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)

Keywords

• Non-ferrous metal recycling
• Metal scrap processing
• Precious metals recovery
• Battery recycling services
• Industrial alloy production

Headquarters

HQ city

Aue

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nickelhütte Aue GmbH is a non-ferrous metals recycler and processor that accepts metal-containing waste streams, including metal scrap, catalysts, residues, dusts, sludges, etching solutions, precious-metal-bearing materials, batteries, and PCB-free transformers, and converts them into secondary raw materials and finished products such as concentrates, refined metals, nickel sulfate and other chemicals, block alloys, and precious metals. Operating from Aue-Bad Schlema in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, the company uses high-standard processing facilities to deliver consistently high-quality secondary raw materials back to industrial customers in the automotive, chemical, electrical, metal processing, and energy storage sectors.

Product overview

Nickelhütte Aue GmbH operates as a unified metal recycling and processing enterprise offering end-to-end services and product outputs. The company provides six core recycling services: metal scrap recycling, catalyst/residue/dust/sludge recycling, etching solution recycling, precious metals recycling, battery recycling, and PCB-free transformer recycling. These services serve four primary industry segments: Automotive, Chemical Industry/Oil/Gas, Electrical Industry, and Energy Generation/Storage. The product portfolio comprises six output categories: Konzentrate (concentrates), Metalle (metals), Chemikalien (chemicals including NiSO4), Blocklegierungen (block alloys), Edelmetalle (precious metals), and Energie (energy generation). The integrated model enables the company to accept metalliferous materials, process them through professional recycling operations meeting highest standards, and deliver secondary raw materials back to industries—closing the circular economy loop for non-ferrous metals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Scrap Recycling (Recycling von Metallschrotten)
• Catalyst, Residue, Dust and Sludge Recycling (Recycling von Katalysatoren, Rückständen, Stäuben, Schlämmen)
• Etching and Non-Ferrous Metal Solution Recycling (Recycling von Ätzlösungen)
• Precious Metals Recycling (Recycling von Edelmetallen)
• Battery Recycling (Recycling von Batterien)
• PCB-Free Transformer Recycling and Recovery (Recycling und Verwertung von PCB-freien Transformatoren)
• Concentrates (Konzentrate)
• Metals (Metalle)
• Chemicals (Chemikalien)
• Block Alloys (Blocklegierungen)
• Precious Metals (Edelmetalle)
• Energy Generation (Energieerzeugung)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Heraeus Holding: German precious metals and technology group operating one of the world's largest precious metals recyclers (Heraeus Precious Metals). Direct overlap with Nickelhütte Aue's Edelmetallrecycling service and similar focus on refining complex secondary feedstocks to high-purity outputs.
• Speira GmbH: German aluminium rolling and recycling company (formerly Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products), operating secondary smelting from aluminium scrap. Comparable German industrial recycler with similar regulatory environment and customer base in automotive and metal processing.
• SCHOLZ Recycling GmbH: One of Europe's largest scrap metal recyclers, including through its ELG Haniel subsidiary. Comparable as a major European ferrous and non-ferrous scrap processor with similar scale range, customer base, and feedstock acquisition model to Nickelhütte Aue.
• Befesa SA: Luxembourg-listed recycling company specializing in steel dust and aluminium salt slags recycling for the steel and aluminium industries. Comparable as a European industrial recycling specialist serving metal-producing customers, though focused on different waste streams.
• Wieland Group: German manufacturer of copper and copper alloy semi-finished products with integrated recycling operations. Comparable on copper and copper alloy processing from secondary materials, serving overlapping industrial customers in electrical and metal processing segments.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis AG: One of the world's largest integrated copper and non-ferrous metal smelters/refiners with significant recycling operations. Directly comparable as a European non-ferrous metal recycler, though at significantly larger scale and broader product portfolio than Nickelhütte Aue.
• Boliden AB: Swedish metals and mining company with major smelting and recycling operations for copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Comparable in core activity (non-ferrous smelting/refining from secondary materials) and in being a European recycler serving similar industrial customers.
• Umicore SA: Belgian materials technology group with substantial precious metals recycling and battery materials operations. Comparable on precious metals refining and emerging battery recycling - both service lines Nickelhütte Aue offers - though at far greater scale and with broader materials scope.
• Johnson Matthey: UK-based precious metals and chemicals company with significant platinum-group metals recycling from automotive catalysts. Directly comparable to Nickelhütte Aue's catalyst and precious metals recycling services, serving the same automotive and chemical industry customers.

Emerging players

• TRIMET Aluminium SE: German mid-sized aluminium producer with significant secondary smelting and alloying of aluminium from scrap. Comparable as a Mittelstand competitor in secondary non-ferrous metal smelting, though focused specifically on aluminium versus Nickelhütte Aue's broader non-ferrous scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Nickelhütte Aue