Hydro bags the Mercedes-Benz Supplier Award for its drive towards sustainability

The leading Norwegian aluminium company committed highly to a sustainable future, Norsk Hydro was recently honoured with the Mercedes-Benz Supplier Award in the sustainability category. The Mercedes-Benz Supplier Circle event occurred on June 19 in Stuttgart, Germany.

"This award is a fantastic recognition of our efforts to drive sustainability in aluminium production. It demonstrates a key customer's appreciation of Hydro's commitment to decarbonize and minimize environmental impact along the entire aluminium value chain," stated President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim, who received the award on behalf of Hydro.

This award is given annually to recognise excellent achievement by supplier partners in innovation, quality, and sustainability. Mercedes-Benz got the accolade after receiving the first batch of Hydro REDUXA 3.0 low-carbon aluminium earlier this year. The aluminium was manufactured using hydroelectric power at Hydro's rdal facility in Norway, comprises at least 25 per cent post-consumer scrap, and has a carbon footprint almost 70 per cent lower than the European average.

Aluminium, a strong and light metal, is used by automakers to decrease weight without sacrificing safety. Hydro is a significant provider of aluminium metal and extruded solutions to the automobile industry and has long provided aluminium components to Mercedes-Benz. The two firms inked a collaboration agreement in December 2022 to build a joint technological roadmap for low-carbon vehicle solutions.

Hydro's REDUXA 3.0 aluminium has a carbon footprint of just 2.8 kg CO2 per kilogramme of aluminium. It has passed Mercedes-Benz testing and will be implemented in full-scale manufacturing this year, beginning with the EQS and EQE series of electric vehicles. 

"I am deeply impressed by Mercedes-Benz' efforts to secure transparency and traceability throughout the value chain. Hydro acknowledges that full commitment to responsibility and sustainability is the only possible way of conducting our operations in Brazil and elsewhere. We are proud of our achievements and thankful that Mercedes-Benz sees us as part of the solution for the green transition," added Aasheim.

By 2050, Hydro hopes to be a net-zero firm, producing net-zero goods and enabling a net-zero society. Compared to 2018, the corporation is on target to lower its carbon emissions by 10 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. Full decarbonisation will be realised by increasing the recycling of post-consumer waste and introducing new technologies. This comprises Carbon Capture Storage (CCS), hydrogen, and innovative in-house technology that can remove carbon emissions from primary aluminium production entirely.

Hydro's 2030 environment plan also aims to achieve no net loss of biodiversity in new projects across all of the company's business sectors and to remove the requirement for landfilling of recoverable waste and permanent storage of bauxite residue. Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz personnel visited Hydro's bauxite and alumina plants in the Brazilian state of Pará.