Type
Business expansion
Country
Spain
Region
Sur; Andalucía; Huelva
Location of affected unit(s)
Huelva
Sector
Water / Waste
38 - Waste collection, recovery and disposal activities
38.2 - Waste recovery
38.21 - Materials recovery

350 jobs
Number of planned job creations
Job creation
Announcement Date
14 September 2026
Employment effect (start)
14 September 2026
Foreseen end date

Description

Atlantic Copper has officially inaugurated CirCular, its new electronic waste recycling plant in Huelva, follo-wing an investment of €550 million. The facility will create 350 highly qualified Jobs and process up to 60,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) annually, positioning Spain among the few countries worldwide with advanced industrial capacity to recover strategic metals from electronic waste.

The plant will process pre-treated materials to recover valuable metals such as copper, gold, silver, palladium, platinum, tin and nickel using innovative smelting technology. The project has been recognised as a strategic initiative by the European Union since 2023 and is expected to make a significant contribution to European recycling targets and the security of critical raw material supplies.

Atlantic Copper estimates that CirCular will increase its annual turnover by 20–30%, while reinforcing the circular economy and reducing Europe’s dependence on imported raw materials. The company is already planning a second expansion pha-se to further strengthen its recycling capabilities and support the growing demand for critical materials used in the energy transition and digital technologies.


Citation

Eurofound (2026), Atlantic Copper, Business expansion in Spain, factsheet number 301073, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/301073.