Hydro to implement blockchain-powered service developed by DNV GL “Tag. Trace. Trust.”

The Norwegian Aluminium company, Hydro and the international accredited registrar and classification society, DNV GL headquartered in Høvik, Norway are initiating a blockchain pilot to document product representations for Hydro CIRCAL and Hydro REDUXA.

Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen, Head of Sustainability, Hydro, said: “We see that our customers and their customers request trusted information documenting the footprint from our materials and production. The aim of the pilot is to test a platform that supports manufacturers and brands to back their sustainability claims with verified data. This will allow them to trace the metal from the factory gates until it reaches the customer.”

The emphasis on more sustainable products, standards and operations has increased dramatically in recent years. Together with the vast amount of information and various standards, delivering access to quality facts that can enable the customers to review products from start to finish is more important than ever. While doing so, the customer can make greener purchase decisions based on facts and not just claims.

Hydro will execute the blockchain-powered service developed by DNV GL “Tag. Trace. Trust.” It authorizes anyone to swiftly check the validity, data and authenticity of the product’s environmental profile.

Lin Jacobsen Hammer, Business Development & Sustainability Manager in DNV GL-Business Assurance, explains: “In this way, the aluminium product passport, with its unique digital ID, attached to the product displays key sustainability facts, such as low-carbon aluminium and post-consumer scrap content.”

At the initial stage, Hydro and DNV GL will work with the sustainable-furniture maker Vestre. The company uses Hydro CIRCAL in selected furniture lines. The product data on the platform gives the company and their customer’s traceability of the aluminium and the CO2 emissions from raw material to a finished bench in a public park.

Whereas, the next step will be to review the experience from the pilot to assess how Hydro can implement the platform to a standardized model. The goal is to roll out the platform to Hydro customers in 2021.

Jørgen Hansson, Project Lead in Hydro, said: “Ultimately, this pilot is made possible through the work we have invested in our greener brands in recent years. As a result, we can now explore how new technology can provide the market and the conscious consumer with key data – presented in a way they understand and trust – as a part of our agenda of driving sustainability.”