DEScycle opened its first demonstration plant at Wilton Centre in Teesside, marking the first operational deployment of its distributed metals processing platform. The facility represents a major step towards strengthening the UK’s domestic critical minerals supply chain and reducing reliance on overseas processing.
Supporting the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy
The UK Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy aims for recycling to meet 20% of annual critical mineral demand by 2035. In line with this goal, DEScycle’s new plant will demonstrate how valuable metals can be recovered from complex electronic waste within the UK, rather than being exported abroad for treatment. The opening follows a recent visit by Chris McDonald, who announced a £50 million investment to support domestic critical minerals production.
Plant capacity and operational focus
The demonstration facility operates at a 250 kg batch scale and can process 50–100 tonnes of electronic waste annually during its initial phase. DEScycle will use the site to transition from pilot operations to repeatable commercial deployment. Initially, the plant will process printed circuit boards and other complex electronic feedstocks supplied through DEScycle’s UK joint venture partner GAP Group. The first metals recovered will include Gold, Copper, Silver and Palladium. The company is also developing recovery capabilities for tin, iron and aluminium.
Regional leaders back the project
Anna Turley and Ben Houchen officially opened the facility, joined by local dignitaries, investors and industry stakeholders. Turley said the UK currently exports too much metal-bearing waste for overseas processing, resulting in the loss of materials, economic value and control over strategic supply chains. She described the DEScycle plant as an important step towards addressing that challenge. Houchen added that Teesside continues to lead industrial innovation by developing technologies that transform electronic waste into valuable critical minerals. He highlighted the project’s potential to create high-quality jobs and attract further investment into the region.
A blueprint for distributed metals processing
Leo Howden said the Teesside facility serves as the company’s first operational blueprint for distributed metals processing. “This facility allows us to prove the platform in an industrial environment, generate the data needed for commercial deployment and demonstrate how modular processing capacity can be replicated across industrial clusters in the UK, US, Europe and Japan.” He added that growing demand for critical minerals from AI, electrification and advanced manufacturing creates an opportunity for the UK to lead a new model of metals processing.
Government and research support
Mary Creagh welcomed the development, noting that the UK generates millions of tonnes of e-waste each year, much of which is currently exported for recovery. “Recovering these critical metals and materials here in the UK is vital for our supply chain resilience, resource security and climate goals,” she said. Louise Heathwaite highlighted the research origins of the technology, which emerged from UKRI-supported work at the University of Leicester. She said the innovation offers more efficient metal recovery with lower environmental impact.
Commercial partnerships strengthen the supply chain
DEScycle has also announced strategic collaborations to support the commercial rollout of its technology:
Cisco will supply materials to the facility.
Mitsubishi Corporation will conduct an offtake study to evaluate commercial routes to market for domestically processed metals.
According to DEScycle, these partnerships validate the company’s approach by securing feedstock supply, supporting modular operations and establishing downstream offtake channels.
Wilton Centre selected for scale-up potential
DEScycle chose Wilton Centre because of its industrial infrastructure, pilot plant capabilities and location within Teesside’s expanding industrial innovation cluster. As per the press release, as part of the Pioneer Group ecosystem, the site provides technical development support and a near plug-and-play environment, helping DEScycle move towards commercial-scale deployment.
