DK Recycling und Roheisen

What DK Recycling und Roheisen does

DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH is a privately held German industrial recycler headquartered in Duisburg-Hochfeld, founded in 1876 (originally as "Duisburger Kupferhütte") and operating as a subsidiary of Hargreaves raw material services GmbH since November 2019. The company runs a single integrated production platform anchored by the proprietary DK-process — a globally unique route combining sinter plant, blast furnace, cyclator-based gas cleaning, flue-gas desulfurization, coal-dust injection, casting machine and an in-house power plant fired by cleaned blast furnace top gas. Through this integrated flow DK converts approximately 580,000 tons per year of ferrous residual materials (converter dust, blast furnace sludges, mill scales, used foundry sands, certain battery types) sourced from the European steel industry into roughly 300,000 tons per year of specialty foundry pig iron across approximately 100 grades (30 standard types kept on stock), plus high-purity zinc concentrate (65–68% Zn) as a by-product, achieving a 98% utilization rate of delivered residuals.

The business model is anchored on three revenue streams: (i) sale of special/foundry pig iron to roughly 300 global foundry customers via a direct enterprise sales team led by Carsten Wilms and Björn Finkenthei, augmented by the international raw-material trader Hargreaves raw material services; (ii) acceptance and recycling fees for ferrous residual materials supplied by the European steel industry; and (iii) sale of zinc concentrate, surplus electricity from the on-site power plant (which covers 100% of DK's own electricity demand), and rental income from surplus industrial and office space at the Rhine-side site. Ancillary operations include a 24/7 in-house laboratory for process monitoring and traceability, a self-serve supplier purchasing portal (newtron.net), and certified management systems (DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, 14001:2015, 45001:2023, 50001:2018) supported by an EcoVadis 2025 sustainability assessment. Pricing across pig iron, zinc concentrate and recycling intake is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the go-to-market is sales-led with channel support through Hargreaves.

Name

DK Recycling und Roheisen

Legal name

DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH

Website

https://dk-duisburg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH, founded in 1876 in Duisburg, Germany, uses its proprietary DK-process to recycle roughly 580,000 tons/year of ferrous steel-industry residuals into approximately 300,000 tons/year of specialty foundry pig iron and zinc concentrate, serving around 300 global foundry customers as part of Hargreaves raw material services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ferrous Metal Recycling & Foundry Pig Iron Production

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing (3314), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAIAJAA

Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Steel/Iron)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Scrap Metal & End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling

SECONDARYEUAIADAG

Metals Recovery & Sorting Facilities (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Recycling & Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF)

Keywords

• Ferrous residual recycling
• Foundry pig iron production
• Zinc concentrate recovery
• Blast furnace sintering process
• Steel industry waste recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sale of special / foundry pig iron: Core revenue stream: ~300,000 tons per year of high-quality pig iron (100 different grades, 30 standard grades kept on stock) sold to ~300 global foundry customers via direct sales team and Hargreaves raw material services.
2. Sale of zinc concentrate (by-product): Zinc concentrate with 65–68% zinc content recovered from cleaned blast furnace gas and sold to zinc producers, smelters and processors as a valuable by-product of the DK-process.
3. Residual material acceptance / recycling service fees: Acceptance and recycling of ferrous residual materials (converter dust, blast furnace sludges, mill scale, foundry sands, certain batteries) from the steel industry — ~580,000 tons/year processed. Customers pay for the take-back / recycling service; revenue reflects intake fees or net pricing depending on material.
4. Sale of surplus electricity to the public grid and on-site tenants: DK's in-house power plant, fired by cleaned blast furnace gas, covers 100% of DK's own electricity demand and sells surplus electricity to on-site companies and into the public grid.
5. Rental of industrial and office space on the DK premises: Sub-areas of the Duisburg-Hochfeld site (buildings, offices, warehouses, industrial areas) no longer required by DK are leased externally, generating rental income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH operates the proprietary DK-process to recycle ferrous residual materials from the European steel industry into approximately 300,000 tons per year of high-quality special foundry pig iron supplied to roughly 300 global foundry customers across 100 grades (with 30 standard grades always on stock). The integrated process also yields zinc concentrate (65–68% Zn) as a by-product, supplies surplus electricity from an in-house power plant fired by cleaned blast furnace gas, and processes about 580,000 tons of ferrous residuals per year at a 98% utilization rate.

Product overview

DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH operates a single integrated industrial platform anchored by the proprietary DK-Process, which combines a sinter plant, blast furnace, cyclator-based gas cleaning, exhaust gas cleaning, in-house power plant, casting machine, and coal-dust injection into one production flow. The platform's core commercial outputs are DK Pig Iron (approximately 300,000 tons per year across roughly 100 grades) and the Zinc Concentrate by-product, supported by DK Recycling Services that process around 580,000 tons of ferrous residual materials annually from the European steel industry. Ancillary offerings include the DK Purchase Portal for supplier communication and rental of industrial/office space on the Duisburg-Hochfeld site. Since November 2019 DK has operated as part of Hargreaves raw material services GmbH, with Hargreaves handling international raw material trading.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DK Pig Iron (DK-Roheisen) High-quality specialty foundry pig iron produced from ferrous residual materials of the steel industry using the proprietary DK-process. Production capacity is approximately 300,000 tons per year, supplied to roughly 300 global foundry customers. Available in 30 standard grades always on stock plus custom qualities on request, including Basic Pig Iron, Hematite Pig Iron, Phosphorus Pig Iron and Spiegeleisen (specular iron), each with full traceability per cast.
• Zinc Concentrate (Zinkkonzentrat) High-purity, finely granulated zinc concentrate produced as a valuable by-product of the DK-process. Recovered from blast furnace top gas via dry and wet cleaning stages in a cyclator with subsequent dewatering, achieving a zinc content of 65–68%. Sold to zinc producers, smelters and processors as a feed material for further zinc production and refining.
• DK Recycling Services for Ferrous Residual Materials Industrial recycling service for ferrous residual materials (converter dust, blast furnace sludges, mill scale, used foundry sands, certain battery types) from the European steel and iron industry. DK currently recycles approximately 580,000 tons per year out of roughly 2,000,000 tons accumulating in Europe, achieving a 98% utilization rate via the DK-process. Customers pay for the take-back / recycling service, with intake pricing determined after laboratory analysis of a representative 1–2 kg sample against the DK positive catalogue.
• DK-Process (proprietary integrated recycling technology) Proprietary, worldwide-unique integrated recycling process based on the classic sinter and blast furnace route, developed at the Duisburg site. Combines sinter plant, cyclator (gas cleaning), in-house power plant, exhaust gas cleaning, blast furnace, casting machine and coal-dust injection into one production flow to convert ferrous residuals into pig iron and zinc concentrate while recovering energy from cleaned top gas.
• DK Purchase Portal (DK-Einkaufsportal / newtron.net) External web-based trading portal used for efficient and transparent communication with suppliers, for the transmission of inquiries and submission of offers for goods and services. Operates on newtron.net infrastructure and is DK's primary procurement / supplier-engagement channel.
• Industrial and Office Space Rental at Duisburg-Hochfeld Rental of surplus industrial and office space on the DK company grounds located directly on the Rhine in Duisburg-Hochfeld, Germany. Includes complete buildings, office spaces, storage facilities and industrial areas with water, rail and road transport access. Contact: Sandra Ullrich, +49 (203) 6081 184, [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% utilization rate of delivered residual materials via the DK-process
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / parent-level strategic partner, minor / vendor-level, minor / csr partnership and minor / recognition body.

• Hargreaves raw material services GmbHflagship / parent-level strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019Since November 2019, DK Recycling & Roheisen GmbH has been part of Hargreaves raw material services GmbH, an international raw-material trader. Through this close cooperation, DK offers its ~300 global foundry customers an incomparable 'one-stop-shopping' opportunity for pig iron and related raw materials. A joint sales team covers both Hargreaves services and DK Recycling & Roheisen, with Carsten Wilms as Head of Sales Pig Iron (DK) and Björn Finkenthei as Pig Iron Sales (Hargreaves).
• A-Quadrat Werbeagentur (A2 Werbeagentur)minor / vendor-levelImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConcept and implementation of the DK corporate website (dk-duisburg.de) and German-language imprint are credited to A-Quadrat Werbeagentur (a2-werbeagentur.de). Listed in the imprint as the external agency responsible for the website concept and build.
• Malteser Hospiz – Förderverein St.Raphael Duisburger Wirtschaft e.V.minor / csr partnershipOthersCharitable sponsorship: the 'Malteser Hospiz – Förderverein St.Raphael Duisburger Wirtschaft e.V.' is funded jointly by DK Recycling & Roheisen GmbH, Grillo Werke AG and Befesa Zinc GmbH. The association supports the Malteser Hospice St.Raphael in Duisburg (outpatient hospice service, day hospice and inpatient hospice).
• EcoVadisminor / recognition bodyOthersEcoVadis sustainability rating/ranking platform; DK displays the EcoVadis 2025 badge on its Sustainability page, indicating it has been assessed by EcoVadis for environmental, social and ethical performance.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Befesa SA: Luxembourg-based Befesa recycles steel dust and other hazardous steel-industry residuals into Waelz oxide and other zinc-bearing by-products, and operates electric arc furnaces for stainless steel. It is the most direct comparable to DK Recycling: both run a closed-loop residual-to-by-product model anchored on European steel-industry feedstock and monetize zinc concentrate alongside an iron-bearing product.
• Georgsmarienhütte GmbH: German mini-mill / specialty pig iron and bar producer using both blast furnace and electric arc routes to supply the European foundry and special-steel markets. Directly comparable to DK as a European specialty pig iron producer serving foundry customers, though with a broader steel-product downstream.
• Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM): Duisburg-based blast-furnace operator producing pig iron for parent steelmakers. Directly comparable to DK as a Duisburg Rhine-site blast-furnace pig iron producer in the European market, though HKM's pig iron feeds its own steel operations rather than third-party foundries.
• Rogesa (Dillinger Hütte / Saarstahl group): Rogesa operates blast furnaces at Dillingen producing pig iron that feeds Dillinger Hütte's heavy-plate production. Comparable to DK as a blast-furnace-based European pig iron producer with integrated downstream steelmaking, supplying high-grade ferrous products into industrial value chains.

Broad incumbents

• SSAB AB: Nordic specialty steel producer transitioning from blast furnace to hydrogen-based DRI steelmaking. Comparable to DK in European specialty steel/pig-iron production, and a key reference point for the green-steel transition risk that DK's blast-furnace-based DK-process faces.
• Saarstahl AG: German integrated steelmaker producing pig iron via blast furnaces and converting it into wire rod and bar for automotive and engineering customers. Comparable to DK in European blast-furnace pig iron supply and Rhine-Ruhr/Mittelstand industrial culture, but with a much broader product portfolio.
• Voestalpine AG: Austrian integrated steelmaker with blast-furnace pig iron production in Linz and Donawitz supplying specialty steel for automotive, rail and industrial customers. Comparable to DK in European blast-furnace pig iron and specialty-steel supply, but at substantially larger scale and with integrated downstream products.
• Salzgitter AG: Integrated German steelmaker with blast-furnace and electric-arc routes producing pig iron and downstream steel products. Overlaps with DK in European pig-iron production and in active decarbonization transition planning, but operates a far broader steel portfolio.
• Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe: Germany's largest integrated steelmaker, operating large blast furnaces and producing pig iron as an intermediate for its own flat-steel output. Comparable to DK as a Rhine-Ruhr blast-furnace operator, but at much larger scale and integrated downstream into flat products rather than sold to foundries.

Emerging players

• Aurubis AG: European non-ferrous metals recycler and copper smelter, processing complex multi-metal scrap streams into copper, precious metals and by-products. Comparable to DK as a European industrial metals recycler that monetizes multiple by-products from a single integrated metallurgical process and targets circular-economy customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DK-Recycling-und-Roheisen-GmbH-105174368253222
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dk-recycling-und-roheisen-gmbh/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/dk_duisburg

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 DK Recycling und Roheisen