EU-backed RAPTOR system sets a new benchmark for refractory recycling, boosting EU competitiveness, security and Green Deal targets

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.

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.

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.

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.