PyroGenesis Inc. has completed the deployment of seven Drosrite aluminium dross recovery systems at a purpose-built plant in Saudi Arabia, fulfilling an original contract with Radian Oil and Gas Services Company. The systems can process as much as 45,000 tonnes of aluminium dross per year, according to the Montreal-based technology provider.
The final four systems are installed and operational, PyroGenesis announced on October 15, 2026. The installation includes two units with capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year and two 10,000-tonne-per-year units. The larger units are the first of that capacity deployed by PyroGenesis anywhere, the company said. The facility sits within what PyroGenesis describes as the world's largest vertically integrated aluminium production complex.
Original seven-system contract fulfilled
Radian originally engaged PyroGenesis to design, engineer, install and commission seven Drosrite systems. The first three units, each with 5,000 tonnes per year capacity, began full commercial operation in April 2022 at a temporary facility while the permanent plant was being engineered and built. Those three systems have since been relocated to the purpose-built facility, joining the four newly operational units. Together they give the installation total annual processing capacity of 45,000 tonnes of aluminium dross.
With the installation complete, PyroGenesis has met the original seven-system contract. The company said additional dross processing needs may arise as the wider aluminium complex expands.
Drosrite targets metal recovery from dross
Aluminium dross forms when oxygen meets molten aluminium and solid impurities rise to the surface to be skimmed off. PyroGenesis says the material can contain as much as 80 per cent metallic aluminium, along with oxides, salts, fluxing agents and other contaminants. The company estimates that smelters can lose 2 to 10 per cent of annual aluminium melt production through dross.
Traditionally, dross has been landfilled or reprocessed with salt or chemicals, though proper treatment can recover metal and other reusable materials. PyroGenesis says its patented Drosrite technology can recover up to 98 per cent of the aluminium in dross while using less energy and operating at lower cost than some conventional processes. The salt-free method is also designed to avoid hazardous salt cakes that require disposal, enabling on-site processing.
President and CEO P. Peter Pascali said growing aluminium demand is increasing the need to manage production by-products effectively. He added that poorly processed or landfilled dross represents both a loss of recoverable material and an environmental challenge for the industry.
Rising aluminium output increases dross management needs
The deployment comes as global aluminium consumption and production grow. Industry figures cited in the announcement put total aluminium use, including primary and recycled metal, at 100.8 million tonnes in 2024, up from 82 million tonnes in 2016. Smelter output rose to 72.9 million tonnes over the same period from 59.9 million tonnes.
The announcement also cites estimates that aluminium dross generation could increase by 3 to 4 per cent annually. About 4.78 million tonnes of dross was generated in 2024, while some estimates put annual generation as high as 8 million tonnes when smaller facilities and downstream operations are included. An estimated 30 to 40 per cent of dross, particularly from the secondary aluminium sector, continues to be landfilled. Those figures underline the potential role of recovery technologies in reducing metal losses and managing waste as aluminium production expands.