We had the pleasure of welcoming the BIR Young Traders to HJHansen Recycling Group

First and foremost, she was deeply impressed by the company’s high safety standards. Beata noted that safety was prioritized in all aspects of operations, which she found highly commendable. It is evident that HJHansen has a strong #safety culture, and it is something we will certainly take back to our own company. Their extensive safety measures are something we can learn a lot from, she said.

Furthermore, Beata was fascinated by the wide range of fractions numbers HJHansen operates with. She found it impressive how many different materials were handled and how efficiently everything was organized. Seeing how large and versatile HJHansen is has given me a new perspective on what is possible within recycling. Their ability to handle so many different materials in an efficient manner is truly inspiring, she said.

Another remarkable observation from Beata was the degree of automation in HJHansen’s processes. She found it fascinating how automated nearly all the processes were on site. The high level of automation at HJHansen is really impressive. It shows how far one can go with technology in the recycling industry.

Visiting the HJ Hansen yard in Odense was a great reminder of the size and importance of the metal recycling industry. I normally spend my workdays on the phone with steel scrap processors, traders, consumers etc, but seeing a huge machine like HJH’s 10,000hp shredder in action leaves a lasting impression and puts things into perspective.

There is a lot of focus on decarbonisation and sustainability, and the recycling industry will play a fundamental role in reaching these goals. This is one of the reasons that at the LME we are really keen to strengthen our relationship with this industry and to work together with recyclers in both ferrous and non-ferrous markets. Chatting with HJ Hansen team on their home ground was a great opportunity to see how all of this gets translated into practical reality and physical operations.

Aside from the mega-shredder, which was the highlight of the day, we were also lucky enough to see a vessel being unloaded and I do have a soft spot for massive cranes moving around tonnes and tonnes of steel scrap.

On behalf of Metal Expert, we highly appreciate the opportunity to delve into the workings of the HJ Hansen company, which has come so far and is one of the leading players in the processing and supply of steel scrap in Europe and worldwide.

This is a unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of the industry and witness all the stages and processes of metal scrap processing. For us, as journalists covering the world raw materials market on a daily basis, these emotions are comparable to those experienced by a child when visiting Disney land.

This is truly an exciting process when you realize that the material that has already served its purpose, thanks to years of experience and advanced technology, is revived as a phoenix bird and brings a new, unique value to the world steel industry.

On top of everything, I would like to note that it is always nice to see an increasing number of women in a traditionally male-dominated industry.