Pittsburgh, 14 August (Argus) — US west coast recycler PNW Metal Recycling has expanded its footprint in the Pacific northwest with the installation of a new automotive mega-shredder at its Longview, Washington, facility.
The 6,000-horsepower shredder is fully enclosed within a 5,400ft2 building. It is equipped with advanced environmental control systems including a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) and wet acid gas scrubber, according to a state permit filing.
PNW commissioned the shredder in June and has been slowly increasing production since then, the company told Argus.
The new shredder has allowed it to optimize operational efficiencies in its ferrous business, which is now run out of the Longview location.
It temporarily idled its former metal shredder in Portland, Oregon, about 50 miles south of Longview.
PNW has operated from the 25-acre Longview site since 2013, having primarily used it as a staging area for deep-sea bulk cargoes loaded at the port. The company does additional processing there, including shearing and torching of ferrous scrap.
Longview shipped 162,000 metric tonnes of ferrous scrap in 2024 on five bulk cargoes to Bangladesh, according to US customs data.
PNW formed a strategic partnership with Japanese-based Itochu Metals in July 2023, which positioned it for further growth.
PNW Metal Recycling has seven locations, including its former shredding operation in Portland as well as feeder yards in Clackamas, Gresham and Hermiston, Oregon; and the bulk export facility in Longview and a Prosser, Washington, location.
By Brad MacAulay
