en.Wedoany.com Reported - Brazil's Paraná State has officially inaugurated an urban mining plant located in Fazenda Rio Grande, integrating the Metal Carbon Hub/Reminera project, with an investment exceeding R$50 million and covering an area of 18,000 square meters. It is equipped with the only operational urban mining production line in Paraná and is one of just four such lines in all of Brazil.
The plant's key capability lies in recovering high-value-added materials from post-consumer waste, including household appliances, electronic devices, and automotive parts. In addition to traditional metals, it can extract rare earths and precious metals such as copper, aluminum, and bronze, which can be reintroduced into the production chain.
Rare earths are crucial for high-tech industries, used in manufacturing chips, smartphones, electric motors, and equipment related to the energy transition. The recovery of these elements reduces import dependence and helps achieve the environmental goals set by the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) and the National Solid Waste Plan (Planares).
To achieve industrial-scale production, the plant is equipped with a piece of equipment unprecedented in Paraná: the state's only operational shredder. This super crusher is powerful enough to process a complex structure like an entire car in approximately 20 seconds.
The system operates automatically, separating iron from other metal components through magnetic separation. On this basis, Reminera performs refining processes to recover precious metals and technological elements that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
The project was developed based on the Zero Waste concept. Under this model, non-metallic waste is also used as fuel in cement industry kilns to reduce the final disposal of tailings.
The entire operation is monitored by the Environmental Tracking System (SRA). This digital platform provides complete traceability of processed waste, enabling partner companies to track and audit every step of the process, ensuring greater environmental, operational, and legal security.
The project also drives the regional economy. The plant has created 80 direct jobs in the Curitiba metropolitan area and invested in training professionals to handle industrial processes previously nonexistent in the state.
Gabriel Tadeu, partner at Metal Carbon Hub/Reminera, stated that modern mining has expanded beyond traditional mineral extraction. He noted that modern mining is no longer just about digging into the ground, but about recovering precious metals that society has already discarded. Deploying the only urban mining production line and the only shredder in Paraná enables them to extract rare earths from technological waste with high precision.
Through contracts with manufacturers and reverse logistics companies, the recovered materials supply both the domestic market and export operations. The group's growth plans include building its own foundry facilities in the region to expand production vertical integration and add value to the recovered materials.
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