Hydro’s Cutting-Edge Casting Line Takes Aluminum Recycling to New Heights in Norway

Hydro has recently launched a new recycling unit at its Årdal primary aluminium plant in Norway, marking an investment of EUR 86 million. The cutting-edge casting line in Årdal will combine primary aluminium produced with renewable hydropower with up to 30% post-consumer aluminium scrap, enabling the plant to produce Reduxa 3.0 aluminium with a carbon footprint of less than 3.0 kg CO2e/kg, significantly lower than the global average.

Eivind Kallevik, the evp of Hydro Aluminium Metal, commented on the growing demand for low-carbon aluminium in the automotive sector and how Hydro’s advanced technology and expertise can help customers reduce their carbon footprint in their value chains and work towards their climate goals. With this upgrade and other planned investments at the plant, Hydro Årdal is well positioned to supply low-carbon aluminum to Europe for years to come.

Hydro is committed to achieving net-zero emissions from its aluminum production by 2050 and is on track to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Apart from recycling post-consumer scrap, Hydro is exploring decarbonization strategies such as carbon capture and storage and developing a new electrolysis process that could potentially eliminate CO2 emissions from primary aluminum production.