Hydro’s upcoming aluminium recycling plant in Michigan to ensure local jobs and lighter vehicles

In Cassopolis, Michigan, Hydro has begun building of a state-of-the-art aluminium recycling factory. Production will begin in 2023 with a workforce of about 70 people. The mill will produce 120,000 tonnes of low-carbon aluminium extrusion ingot per year once it is fully operational. A total of USD 150 million is scheduled to be invested.

The Cassopolis recycling plant in Michigan will improve Hydro's capacity to deliver recycled aluminium to automakers and other businesses in the United States. Cassopolis will be the first large-scale manufacturing facility in North America for low-carbon Hydro CIRCAL extrusion ingot.

“Hydro has been in business for as long as Michigan has been making cars, and this is where our infinitely recyclable aluminum really comes to life. With manufacturers switching to electric vehicles, combined with the growing need for aluminum, we see this as an opportunity to bring next-generation aluminum recycling technology that we pioneer in Europe – to the U.S.,” said President and CEO, Hilde Merete Asheim.

Because of its low density and small weight, aluminium is a strong, robust, and elastic material. Aluminium is also used to lighten electric and hybrid vehicles, allowing them to travel the same distances with less power and fewer or smaller batteries. While electric cars make up a modest fraction of the entire industry, accounting for fewer than 3 percent of new car sales in the United States last year, analysts predict significant growth over the next decade.

“The Cassopolis project represents a key stepping-stone toward Hydro’s goal of doubling recycling of post-consumer scrap in its production processes, and will bring more low-carbon aluminum to our American customers,” says Aasheim.

Hydro CIRCAL aluminium extrusion ingot is unique because it comprises minimum 75 percent post-consumer scrap, and is certified by DNV GL, and has a market-leading CO2 footprint of just 2.3 kg CO2e/kg aluminium. With an increasing focus on sustainably produced aluminium, Hydro CIRCAL has piqued the interest of a number of North American customers.

Hydro CIRCAL will have applications in crucial automotive and other transportation industries, as well as consumer and construction systems. Since 2021, Hydro has been delivering first volumes of Hydro CIRCAL to clients in the United States from its plant in Commerce, Texas, in advance of the planned capacity at Cassopolis.