Success Story | Treibacher

🌍 Treibacher’s journey—spanning over a century—demonstrates transformation from pioneering scientific roots to global prominence without compromising its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility.

🌟 Origins & Vision: From Auer von Welsbach to Global Leadership

• Founded in 1898 Treibacher began as "Treibacher Chemische Werke." It built its reputation as a world-leading specialist in rare earth metals.

• Over more than 125 years, Treibacher evolved into Europe's leading vanadium producer and leading processor of rare earths outside China.

🔬 Innovation & Global Reach

• The company now produces advanced materials for pharma, aerospace, electronics, steel & foundry, ceramic coatings, and high-performance alloys used world‑wide.

• Treibacher exports roughly 80% of its output, reaching customers across Europe, Asia, North and South America.

• In 2023, with around 900 employees, it generated a revenue of €637 million.

♻️ Sustainability & Circular Economy Leadership

• Treibacher has been recycling spent metal-rich catalysts from refineries since 1978, recovering vanadium, nickel, and molybdenum. Their recycling processes yield a remarkable >99% recovery rate, saving over 500,000 tons of ore annually—equivalent to about 25,000 truckloads—contributing to EU-critical resource security.

• In March 2024, they celebrated the topping-out of a €120 million recycling plant (RC2). This facility will convert process waste heat into electricity, covering up to 15% of Treibacher’s own power needs and start operations by summer 2024 (completion early 2025).

• During its 125th anniversary in 2023, the company invested around €8 million in Carinthia’s largest solar PV park (7 ha, 7.3 MW), expected to save ~5,760 tons of CO₂ annually and supply about 2,400 households—covering up to 10% of their electricity needs.