Norway’s low-carbon aluminium gets greener with Hydro and Alcoa’s 6000-series

Low-carbon aluminium is becoming an increasingly important product category as manufacturers look to reduce the embodied emissions of their aluminium supply chains. Norway is a low-carbon aluminium hub because its smelters are powered largely by renewable hydropower, enabling producers such as Norsk Hydro and Alcoa to manufacture certified low-carbon aluminium products including Hydro REDUXA, Hydro CIRCAL, EcoLum™ and EcoDura™. 

Some of the low-carbon products for the applications, used by Hydro and Alcoa, are 6000-series billets for extrusion, A356/AlSi7Mg and ADC12 for castings, 1xxx and 6xxx-series wire rods for conductors, and 3xxx/5xxx-series ingots for rolled sheet and packaging. These have accordingly been specified below:

Against this backdrop, the following companies and production operations form part of Norway’s low-carbon aluminium landscape.

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Hydro

Hydro’s portfolio broadly spans low-carbon primary aluminium under the REDUXA brand and recycled, low-carbon aluminium under the CIRCAL brand.

Norsk Hydro

Norsk Hydro has the broadest low-carbon aluminium portfolio among the companies covered here, combining renewable-powered primary aluminium with high-recycled-content products. Its offering is designed to address different levels of carbon reduction and recycled-content requirements.

Low-carbon aluminium grades:

• Hydro REDUXA 3.0 – approximately 3.0 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium
• Hydro REDUXA 4.0 – maximum 4.0 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium, with Hydro using renewable energy from hydropower and wind in its production chain. The range covers low-carbon extrusion ingots, foundry alloys, sheet ingots and wire rod.
• Hydro CIRCAL 75R – minimum 75 per cent post-consumer scrap, with a 1.9 kg CO₂e/kg footprint
• Hydro CIRCAL 100R – 100 per cent post-consumer scrap, with a footprint below 0.5 kg CO₂e/kg  

Hydro notes that REDUXA covers low-carbon extrusion ingots, foundry alloys, sheet ingots and wire rod, while CIRCAL is its premium recycled aluminium range.  

Årdal og Sunndal Verk

Årdal and Sunndal are among Hydro’s established Norwegian primary aluminium operations. Their significance to the low-carbon portfolio comes from Hydro’s renewable-powered primary aluminium production, which supports the company’s REDUXA offering.

Low-carbon aluminium grade:

Hydro REDUXA 4.0 – low-carbon primary aluminium with a maximum carbon footprint of 4.0 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium

Hydro Extruded Solutions

Hydro Extrusions is Hydro’s downstream aluminium extrusion business, supplying aluminium solutions to sectors including construction, automotive and industrial applications. Its position allows low-carbon primary and recycled aluminium to be incorporated into finished extruded products and building systems.

Low-carbon aluminium grades:

• Hydro REDUXA 4.0 – maximum 4.0 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium
• Hydro CIRCAL 75R – minimum 75 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium, with a carbon footprint of 1.9 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium
• Hydro CIRCAL 100R – 100 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium, with a carbon footprint below 0.5 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium

Hydro notes that CIRCAL 100R is currently available in small, on-demand batches because of the technical complexity involved in producing it, while CIRCAL 75R can support industrial-scale applications.  

Hydro Husnes

Hydro Husnes is another Norwegian primary aluminium production site within Hydro’s operations. Like Årdal and Sunndal, its relevance to the low-carbon portfolio is linked to Hydro’s renewable-powered primary aluminium production rather than to post-consumer recycling.

Low-carbon aluminium grade:

Hydro REDUXA 4.0 – low-carbon primary aluminium with a maximum carbon footprint of 4.0 kg CO₂e/kg aluminium

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Hydro Karmøy

Hydro Karmøy is a major primary aluminium production site in western Norway and also hosts Hydro’s Karmøy Technology Pilot, which uses proprietary electrolysis technology designed to reduce energy consumption and emissions. The site’s renewable power supply makes it an important source of Hydro’s low-carbon aluminium portfolio.

Low-carbon aluminium grades:

• Hydro REDUXA 4.0 – low-carbon primary aluminium with a maximum carbon footprint of 4.0 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium
• Hydro REDUXA rolled products – Karmøy’s rolling mill has also been certified to supply REDUXA aluminium in finished strip and sheet, covering several alloys used mainly in building applications

Hydro Aluminium Høyanger

Hydro Aluminium Høyanger, in western Norway, is one of the country’s oldest primary aluminium plants, with production dating back to 1917. The site incorporates post-consumer recycled aluminium directly into its casting process. Høyanger is one of Hydro’s Norwegian smelters supplying REDUXA, available across formats and alloys including sheet ingots, foundry alloys, extrusion ingots, forge stock and wire rod.

Low-carbon aluminium grades:

• Hydro REDUXA 4.0 – low-carbon primary aluminium with a maximum verified carbon footprint of 4.0 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium
• Hydro REDUXA 3.0 / 3.5 – around 3.0 or 3.5 kg CO₂e per kg, depending on the recycled content

• Hydro CIRCAL – minimum 75 per cent post-consumer scrap, with a 1.9 kg CO₂e/kg footprint

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Alcoa

Alcoa’s Sustana™ portfolio of low-carbon and recycled aluminium products includes the brands of Alcoa EcoLum™ and Alcoa EcoDura™.

Alcoa Mosjøen

Alcoa Mosjøen, in northern Norway, is one of Alcoa’s largest European smelting and casting operations, producing rolling ingots and foundry alloys using renewable electricity. The smelter has introduced post-consumer recycled aluminium into its products.

Low-carbon aluminium grades:

• Alcoa EcoLum™ – primary aluminium with less than 3.5 tonnes CO₂e per tonne of aluminium on a cradle-to-gate basis, including emissions from mining, refining, smelting and casting. Mosjøen produces EcoLum aluminium
• Alcoa EcoDura™ – aluminium containing at least 50 per cent recycled content. Mosjøen has produced EcoDura aluminium and is further expanding its post-consumer recycling capability

Both brands form part of Alcoa’s Sustana™ portfolio of low-carbon and recycled aluminium products. 

Alcoa Lista

Alcoa Lista, in Farsund in southern Norway, is Alcoa’s southernmost Norwegian aluminium smelter and produces extrusion billets and foundry alloys, with the plant powered by renewable hydropower.

Low-carbon aluminium grades:

• Alcoa EcoLum™ – low-carbon primary aluminium produced using renewable energy and low-carbon alumina sources, with a verified footprint of less than 3.5 tonnes CO₂e per tonne of aluminium
• Alcoa Sustana™ – Lista’s low-carbon aluminium products fall within Alcoa’s broader Sustana portfolio; the site produces extrusion billets and foundry alloys.

Elkem ASA

Elkem is one of the world’s leading companies in the environmentally responsible manufacture of silicones, silicon and carbon-based materials. It is organised into Elkem Silicon (silicon, ferrosilicon, microsilica for aluminium and other industries), Elkem Foundry Alloys, and Elkem Carbon (electrode paste and speciality products for ferroalloys, silicon and aluminium industries).

Low-carbon aluminium grade: Elkem does not produce aluminium itself. It supplies silicon products for aluminium alloying (foundry alloys in the 3xx.x/4xx.x series, and ingot alloys in the 4000/6000 series), produced using Norwegian hydropower to keep GHG emissions low.

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