Hydro produces its first near-zero carbon aluminium at Clervaux made with 100% post-consumer scrap

Hydro produces 130 tonnes of CIRCAL 100R at its Clervaux, Luxembourg recycling factory, achieving its target of producing first net-zero carbon aluminium. The 130 tonnes of CIRCAL 100R is made using 100 percent post-consumer scrap. The company has achieved its objective of producing first commercial quantities of near-zero carbon aluminium, set at Capital Markets Day in December 2021. This production breakthrough is a substantial improvement, when compared to the present 2.3 kg CO2 per kg aluminium in Hydro CIRCAL extrusion ingot with 75 percent post-consumer aluminium scrap.

“This is an important stepping-stone to commercialize near-zero carbon aluminium and is also a good test of our capabilities to produce recycled aluminium in other locations based on a similar scrap mix,“ said Trond Olaf Christophersen, Head of Recycling in Hydro Aluminium Metal. 

Hydro's 2025 plan is to invest in recycling to increase the company's leadership in low-carbon aluminium. Hydro has established a strategic goal of doubling post-consumer scrap (PCS) recycling by 2025 and increasing annual recycling EBITDA by NOK 0.7 to 1.1 billion.

“We are very happy to have used 100% post-consumer aluminium scrap to produce the first 130 tonnes of Hydro CIRCAL 100R, and look forward to optimizing our production further. The main challenge with using 100% scrap is to meet the needed composition. This was achieved by using a mixture of scrap qualities in a precise way,” said Ludovic Dardinier, Plant Manager at Hydro Clervaux.

When compared to pre-consumer/process scrap and raw aluminium, using post-consumer scrap cuts CO2 emissions dramatically. Hydro is considering the first commercial uses of its ultra-low-carbon product with interested clients.

“With ever-increasing consumer awareness of the importance of how the material in the items they purchase is produced, Hydro’s unique ability to deliver CIRCAL 100R provides our customers a responsibly-sourced and manufactured material, available for a number of applications, to meet this demand,” added Christophersen.