Raffineria Metalli Cusiana S.p.a. (Cusiana) has entered into a partnership with TOMRA Recycling.

Cusiana is an Italian secondary aluminium refiner supplying multinational automotive, construction and furniture companies across Europe.

With TOMRA Recycling, the company has pioneered a multi-stage sorting line, enabling Cusiana to move beyond traditional ingot production and create near carbon-free aluminium ingots and specific high-purity alloys, maximising profit while also delivering significant environmental benefits.

Historically, Cusiana’s business model was based solely on the melting and production of aluminium ingots, but the company has strategically transformed its business model.

Today, the scrap recovery side of the business accounts for 50% of total revenue, making it a key growth area.

With a capacity of 100,000 tons per annum at its plant in Verbania, Italy, Cusiana’s goal is to increase profitability by producing material of a quality previously unattainable from scrap.

Fausto Forni, Plant Manager at Cusiana, commented: “The strategic, collaborative nature of this partnership with TOMRA was the cornerstone of this transformation. TOMRA’s experts ensured the precise on-site calibration, constantly refining the sorting line to deliver just the right output for our specific scrap streams.

“The multi-stage, multi-sensor line has given us the ability to produce high-quality, alloy-true secondary aluminium ingots, which is vital for securing new business.”

Cusiana’s process is powered entirely by renewable energy sources, reducing energy consumption and allowing it to produce near carbon-free aluminium. This enables the production of its branded 'Recall' ingots, providing a competitive advantage to high-profile customers who require both high-quality materials and a low-carbon footprint.

A key challenge for Cusiana was moving beyond simple contaminant removal to achieving the ultra-high purity and alloy-specific separation needed for high-quality remelting. To address this, Cusiana and TOMRA Recycling developed a sophisticated, fully automated sorting line that combines multiple technologies in a three-phase process.

The company is now uniquely positioned in the European market. By integrating Dynamic LIBS precision, Cusiana is achieving specific alloy quality levels, positioning its scrap and ingots for direct use by leading aluminium manufacturers without downgrading.

With this project, Cusiana further consolidates its role as a leading secondary aluminium refiner in Europe.