SES expands into molybdenum processing and rhenium recovery

Sainz Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. (SES) plans to expand into molybdenum processing and sales while advancing its rhenium recovery business. The company will work with a partner that operates molybdenum concentrate processing lines and will install rhenium recovery equipment to capture rhenium generated during processing.

Under the cooperation, the partner will handle processing of molybdenum concentrate, while SES will oversee operations and invest in and operate the rhenium recovery facilities. In the initial stage, SES will purchase molybdenum concentrate, which is processed into molybdenum oxide for sale, and recover rhenium as a by-product. The move is aimed at securing stable upstream rhenium resources to support the company's long-term rhenium recovery business.

Rhenium is a scarce dispersed metal, mainly recovered as a by-product of copper-molybdenum ore and molybdenite through enrichment during beneficiation and processing. In the first half of 2025, China's molybdenum oxide output totaled 106,000 tonnes, indicating ample industry capacity.

SES's rhenium recovery technology has already been applied on an industrial scale at operations including Duobaoshan Copper, Zijin Mining's projects in Heilongjiang and Jilin, and China Molybdenum (CMOC), with several projects achieving stable, continuous rhenium production.