Hydro’s Ardal plant deploys cutting-edge recycling tech, turning 25000 tonnes of scrap into record low-carbon aluminium

Norsk Hydro ASA, the world’s leading Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, has reportedly incorporated a recycling unit in its Ardal primary aluminium smelter in Norway. As per the report, the company has invested NOK 100 million in deploying a recycling technology, as an effort to increase recycling and meet the demand for low-carbon aluminium in European markets.

Eivind Kallevik, Executive Vice President of Hydro Aluminium Metal, has rightly pointed out that the demand for low-carbon aluminium is increasing, particularly in the automotive industry. So, this new recycling unit of Hydro will facilitate the end-user industries with recycled aluminium and help them reduce carbon footprint in their value chain and get closer to achieving sustainability goals.

The new recycling unit in Ardal plant officially started operating from April 10, which will process 25,000 tonnes of post-consumer aluminium scrap annually. The upgraded casting line combines primary aluminium made using renewable hydropower with up to 30 per cent post-consumer aluminium scrap to offer record low-carbon aluminium to its customers.

Hydro Ardal is now able to deliver REDUXA 3.0 aluminium with a carbon footprint of below 3.0 kg CO2e/kg aluminium. This is nearly 80 per cent lower than the world average.

Eivind Kallevik said, “Low-carbon aluminium from Årdal is already an important part of Hydro’s strategic partnership with leading customers in our joint efforts to decarbonize. With this upgrade and other long-term investments at the plant, Hydro Årdal is set to deliver low-carbon aluminium to the European market for decades to come.”

Hydro aims to become a net-zero emissions aluminium producer by 2050, and all these initiatives are bringing it closer to its goal. In addition to recycling post-consumer scrap, Hydro is deploying cutting-edge technologies for carbon capture and storage. It has developed HalZero, a new electrolysis process to eliminate CO2 emissions from primary aluminium production.