Hydro has recently inaugurated a new recycling unit at its Årdal primary aluminium plant in Norway, representing an investment of EUR 86 million. The upgraded casting line in Årdal will combine primary aluminium produced with renewable hydropower with up to 30% post-consumer aluminium scrap. This move allows Årdal to produce its branded 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, notes that the demand for low-carbon aluminium is growing, especially in the automotive sector. The advanced technology and expertise of the Årdal team enable customers to reduce the carbon footprint in their value chain and work towards their climate goals. With this upgrade and other planned investments at the plant, Hydro Årdal is primed to supply low-carbon aluminium to the European market for years to come.
Hydro is committed to achieving net-zero emissions from its aluminium production by 2050 and is on course 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 aluminium production.