In the wake of an increased demand for low-carbon aluminium to advance sustainability, Norsk Hydro has decided to strengthen the capacity of its Henderson recycling plant in Kentucky by building a new casting line. Built-in 1999, this plant is Hydro’s first recycling facility, and over time, it has become a production hub of high-quality, recycled, low-carbon aluminium products.
The addition of a new casting line will involve an investment of US$85 million, but when it becomes operational in 2026, it will supply the automotive industry with more high-quality, low-carbon aluminium components.
Like Hydro Husnes plant in Norway and Hydro Rackwitz plant in Germany, Hydro Henderson will also use HyForge casting technology. The main benefit of the technology is that it eliminates friction that normally occurs on the ingot surface, resulting in a very smooth surface of the log.
Hydro’s President and CEO, Eivind Kallevik, said the investment would be backed by tax incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA). He also said a new casting line would create 31 new jobs in the city of Henderson, increase production capacity by 28,000 tonnes of aluminium, and strengthen Hydro Henderson’s position as a leading producer of low-carbon aluminium.
In Eivind Kallevik’s words, “This investment is another step along Hydro’s journey to change the game in aluminium production. Recycling more end-of-life scrap reduces emissions, strengthens security of supply and enables us to deliver new, cutting-edge products to our U.S. customers.”
Kallevik also asserted, “Taking advantage of the new technology and expanded capacity cater to the specific needs of our customers within the automotive industry to create light weight car parts, helping reduce emissions from driving. This expansion significantly increases the use of end-of-life aluminium, cutting emissions from creating the products themselves, ensuring market leading sustainability performance for Hydro and our customers.”
Besides the new casting line, Hydro’s Henderson recycling plant will equip new baghouse and homegenisation equipment, which will make the facility capable of producing larger volumes of advanced alloys using recycled, post-consumer scrap. The installation of these equipment costs US$15 million, and the project is close to completion.
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