In a major milestone, Hydro has recently launched a new recycling unit at its Årdal primary aluminium plant in Norway, with an investment of EUR 86 million. The company aims to combine primary aluminium produced with renewable hydropower with up to 30% post-consumer aluminium scrap in their upgraded casting line.
The facility in Årdal now produces Reduxa 3.0 aluminium with a carbon footprint of less than 3.0 kg CO2e/kg of the metal, which is significantly lower than the global average. Eivind Kallevik, Executive Vice President of Hydro Aluminium Metal, highlights the growing demand for low-carbon aluminium, especially in the automotive sector. The advanced technology and expertise of the team in Årdal allows customers to reduce their carbon footprint and work towards their climate goals.
With ongoing investments at the plant and recent upgrades, Hydro Årdal is well-positioned to supply low-carbon aluminium to the European market for years to come. Hydro is committed to becoming a net-zero aluminium producer by 2050 and making progress towards a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Along with recycling post-consumer scrap, Hydro is implementing carbon capture and storage initiatives and developing a new electrolysis process that could potentially eliminate CO2 emissions from primary aluminium production.