Brussels (OTS) – A European technology consortium led by RHI
Magnesita will today
unveil RAPTOR, a first-of-its-kind, AI powered mobile multi sensor
system that turns mixed, end-of-life refractories into high purity
secondary raw materials.
RAPTOR emerges from ReSoURCE, a Horizon Europe project with nine
partners that ran from 1 June 2022 to 30 November 2025, with an EU
contribution of Ꞓ6.09 million, Ꞓ1 million from UK government and a
total cost of Ꞓ8.51 million, created to fully modernise the
refractory recycling value chain through digitalisation, automation
and high precision sorting.
“ RAPTOR is proof of what Europe can achieve when industry,
researchers and the EU work as one. By bringing everyone’s expertise
to the table, we have taken top notch technology from lab to line.
This breakthrough will strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by
reducing demand for virgin raw materials, accelerate Digital Product
Passport readiness across supply chains, and make a concrete
contribution to the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy
objectives and the recycling goals under the Critical Raw Materials
Act,” said Constantin Beelitz , President Europe and CIS, RHI
Magnesita, on behalf of the consortium.
Zwtl.: From lab to line: impact that matters for Europe
As a mobile system combining LIBS + HSI sensors with AI, RAPTOR
automatically sorts complex waste streams into certified, traceable
secondary materials that can re-enter high-temperature industries at
scale. Rolled out across the EU, the ReSoURCE solution has system-
level potential to deliver every year:
–
800,000 t CO₂ avoided (≈ 500,000 cars off the road)
–
760 GWh energy saved (≈ 200,000 households )
–
800,000 t less landfill (> 1,300 Airbus A380 by weight)
RAPTOR has high policy implications for the EU. It helps deliver
the Critical Raw Materials Act by creating reliable secondary
streams, it enables Digital Product Passports under the Ecodesign for
Sustainable Products Regulation through trustworthy composition and
traceability data, it advances the Circular Economy Action Plan by
cutting waste and landfill, and it aligns with the Clean Industrial
Deal by turning decarbonisation into competitiveness for Europe’s
foundation industries while reducing exposure to ETS costs.
Zwtl.: Closing Event in Brussels
The final results will be presented at a Closing Event –
ReSoURCE: Driving Digital Innovation for a Circular and Competitive
European Industry in Brussels. The workshop takes place on Monday, 17
November 2025, from 14:00 to 17:00 at AT60 “House of Austria”, Avenue
de Cortenbergh 60, 1000 Brussels, followed by networking from 17:00
to 19:00. The event is organised jointly by the nine project
partners, RHI Magnesita, LSA Laser Analytical Systems and Automation,
InnoLas, Norsk Elektro Optikk, Fraunhofer ILT, Montanuniversität
Leoben, SINTEF, Crowdhelix and CPI. Industry leaders, policymakers
and researchers will discuss the innovation created and how to roll
it out across the EU.
Registration is available at
https://forms.office.com/e/mvg3Px3YUY .
Zwtl.: Next Steps
Building on the success of ReSoURCE, the consortium is now
preparing for the industrial rollout of RAPTOR and several
complementary technologies developed during the project. Alongside
the main system, early prototypes for fine fraction sorting, advanced
sensing concepts, and digital tools for material classification have
opened promising pathways for further innovation. The first pilot
phase will start in early 2026 at RHI Magnesita’s recycling site in
Mitterdorf, Austria, followed by continued collaboration to mature
and extend these solutions across Europe. The partners are already
exploring next-generation applications and new project opportunities
to unlock the full potential of automated, data-driven refractory
recycling and support the transition toward a truly circular
materials economy.
About RHI Magnesita
RHI Magnesita is the leading global supplier of high-grade
refractory products, systems, and solutions which are critical for
high-temperature processes exceeding 1,200°C in a wide range of
industries, including steel, cement, non-ferrous metals, and glass.
With a vertically integrated value chain, from raw materials to
refractory products and full performance-based solutions, RHI
Magnesita serves customers around the world with more than 20,000
employees, 65 main production sites (including raw material sites),
12 recycling facilities, and more than 70 sales offices. The Group is
listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: RHIM) and has a
secondary listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange. For more information,
please visit: www.rhimagnesita.com .