Regain Materials
Regain is a green technology and mineral trading enterprise, using its own proprietary technology to transform hazardous waste materials from the aluminum smelting industry into valuable by-products. Regain recovers the valuable minerals and chemicals from the waste materials and use them in the manufacture of products such as: HiCal products - used to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cement manufacture. Regain has successfully transformed more than 300,000 tonnes of hazardous waste from the aluminum smelting industry into new products. By following the principles of Industrial Ecology, Regain has substantially reduced the risks of storing toxic hazardous waste while delivering economic and environmental benefits.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Waste and Recycling - Hazardous Waste
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
About Us
Modern technological capability built on a rich heritage
Regain is an innovative Australian mineral trading and processing company. Its beginnings date back to the mid-1800’s and the production of limestone for building use. Regain is now focussed on supporting the aluminum smelting industry.
Work with the aluminum smelters began with processing refractory brick in the 1980s. Market presence, and the first long term contract to convert residual carbon material to cement kiln fuel, commenced in 1996. In 1997, the first HiCAl product (High Clinker Alite) derived from smelter waste material was used in a cement kiln at Blue Circle Southern Cement at Waurn Ponds in Victoria, Australia.
A demonstration SPL treatment plant was built and commissioned in 2002 at the Tomago smelter in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. Shortly afterwards, Regain was approved by local (Victoria & NSW) regulators to manage treated smelter by-products as products, not waste. This allowed the development of a local Australian market for HiCAl products derived from SPL.
With the commissioning of the Alcoa Point Henry SPL processing facility in 2006, further opportunity arose to look into the export of HiCAl products.
With the assistance of the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Regain successfully exported HiCal products to China in 2009, followed by export to South East Asia and Latin America.
Meanwhile the 3rd processing plant was commissioned at Kurri Kurri in NSW.
Regain commenced exporting HiCAl products to the Philippines and Thailand in 2012. In 2014, the first shipments of HiCAl product were successfully delivered to Latin America and North Africa.
Regain continues to expand its market presence to service downstream industries that are looking for reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Regain’s detailed knowledge of cement clinker processes has enabled crafting of specialized products for each customer.
The needs of the primary aluminum smelting industry have been served by flexible, individual business models that have optimized the configuration of SPL processing equipment, operating costs and product offtake.
Regain Operations
Regain has successfully operated in smelter sites since 1997
Often the most cost effective and safest solution for processing spent potliner (SPL) and other waste materials is to locate a process facility at the smelter site.
Where this matches the smelter needs, Regain carefully crafts an individual solution for each client smelter, matched to its specific needs and the unique community context in which it operates.
Regain then uses the detoxified waste from the smelter to manufacture high quality products that are safe to transport and use.