Peel Ports helps to close the ‘Factory to Furnace’ loop with Atlas Commodities Ltd.

Peel Ports Logistics has recently collaborated with Atlas Commodities Ltd, an innovative and forward-thinking commodity trading firm specialising in introducing willing end consumer Buyers to willing generators & Sellers of scrap metal – Their mantra, “from factory to furnace!”

Guided by their in-depth understanding of the steel and recycling industries, Atlas Commodities Ltd offers a wide range of services, from scrap handling to consulting & commodity trading – Their clients include some of Europe’s largest Steel & Scrap Recycling companies, as well as Automotive OEM Manufacturers.

Backed by a team of highly experienced professionals, savvy entrepreneurs and industry experts, their strategic & bespoke scrap management services meet the needs of all types and sizes of clients, delivering lasting changes and measurable growth. 

With more than 100 years’ of combined experience, Atlas Commodities Ltd. has extensive knowledge and expertise of local and export markets, in prevailing and emerging economies the world over, enabling them with their economies of scale to consistently deliver competitive returns and add value by cutting out complexity – A testament to this is the fact they are now handling in excess of 500,000MT of Ferrous scrap annually, with this number set to double in 2022.  

The Challenge

Atlas Commodities Ltd. required a facility to handle and facilitate the shipment and export of Ferrous scrap metal products in bulk from the U.K. to Northern Spain, Portugal, Finland, Germany & France where it is re-melted into new steel products in a closed loop recycling cycle, avoiding further production of primary steel.

The methodology developed shows that for every 1 kg of steel scrap metal that is recycled at the end of the products life, a saving of 1.5 kg CO₂-e emissions, 13.4 MJ primary energy and 1.4 kg iron ore can be achieved. This equates to 73, 64 and 90%, respectively, when compared to 100% primary production using virgin materials like mined Iron Ore & Coking Coal.

The challenge set was to find an export route to the Continent in the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way possible.

The Solution

Peel Ports Logistics came up with a full-service solution which included warehouse storage for the scrap metal, security, agency, and customs clearance assistance as well as cargo handling services which involved the use of Peel Port Logistics’ new ship-to-store Liebherr container cranes to load the 3,000 - 5,000 MT short sea coaster vessels.

Through the continued high-quality support and service, at Runcorn and now also Sheerness and Ellesmere Port, Peel Ports can accommodate Atlas Commodities Ltd., at short notice to meet the demands of their end consumer clientele.

The Result

Having now established a successful supply chain route from cradle to grave, the collaboration can look to increase recycled tonnage, and with it, the positive sustainable impact it is having.

Shipping by bulk instead of by container goes some way to decarbonising the business of metal recycling by arranging material to travel directly from factory to furnace. Each vessel Peel loads negates the use and associated carbon usage of 185 separate shipping containers travelling to the Indian Sub-Continent or East Asia. Loading one single vessel also means benefits at home, with less traffic and congestion on local roads.

Sebastian Gardiner, Managing Director at Peel Ports Logistics, said:

Many of our customers are looking for ways to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. Atlas Commodities Ltd. are able to go one step further with a business that’s looking to do the right thing itself by making a major contribution to the circular economy.

We’re pleased to be a part of this project and believe that this is potentially the start of the long-term relationship that will see many new opportunities in this sector.

Harry Seale, CEO of Atlas Commodities Ltd., said:

Steel is everywhere in our lives and is at the heart of a sustainable future - carefully managing our finite natural resources is becoming critical and we must abandon the outdated ‘take, make, consume and dispose’ mentality, and instead move toward a circular economy model. Steel is infinitely recyclable and thus, the steel industry is an integral part of the global circular economy.

We are proud to play our part here at Atlas Commodities Ltd. in decarbonising the supply chain with our sustainable circular economy model which promotes zero waste and encourages the reuse and recycling of materials, by driving optimal resource efficiency.

This idea is fundamental to the triple-bottom-line concept of sustainability, which focuses on the interplay between environmental, social and economic factors. Here at Atlas Commodities Ltd., we are firm believers that the secondary steel industry has significant competitive advantages over competing virgin materials, enabling us to time after time to demonstrate the benefits of recycling steel to achieve a circular economy whilst reducing our CO2 footprint.

We’d like to thank Peel Ports Logistics for their ongoing support, dedication and assistance in our efforts to consistently add value to the supply chain and look forward to the pursuit of further synergies between our two companies.