Hydro Opens New Aluminium Recycling Plant in Hungary to Meet Growing Demand for Sustainable Materials

Hydro Opens New Aluminium Recycling Plant in Hungary to Meet Growing Demand for Sustainable Materials

(IN BRIEF) Hydro has opened a new aluminium recycling plant in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, with a capacity of 90,000 tonnes, primarily serving the automotive sector. The facility processes post-consumer scrap and production waste, supporting the demand for low-carbon, recycled aluminium. This expansion aligns with Hydro’s goal of increasing recycling capacity by 2030. The plant, located next to Hydro’s aluminium extrusion facility, reinforces the company’s efforts to create a closed-loop recycling system and further strengthen its global network of 34 recycling facilities.

(PRESS RELEASE) OSLO, 11-Sep-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Hydro has inaugurated a new aluminium recycling plant in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, with an annual capacity of 90,000 tonnes, primarily serving the automotive industry. The facility, adjacent to Hydro’s advanced aluminium extrusion plant, will initially process 15,000 tonnes of post-consumer scrap annually, with plans to expand as demand for recycled aluminium grows.

Hydro’s CEO, Eivind Kallevik, emphasized that the plant is part of the company’s long-term strategy to meet the rising demand for low-carbon and recycled aluminium, especially in industries like automotive. By 2030, Hydro aims to significantly increase its recycling capacity to support the shift toward sustainable materials in manufacturing.

The Székesfehérvár facility will allow customers to recycle production scrap and post-consumer aluminium, creating a closed-loop system that maximizes resource efficiency. Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely without losing its properties, making it a “permanent material.” The new plant adds to Hydro’s global recycling network of 34 facilities, further strengthening its commitment to sustainable production.

Paul Warton, Executive Vice President of Hydro Extrusions, highlighted the importance of the new facility in meeting customer demands for low-carbon and recycled aluminium, while also recycling process scrap. He praised the project team for maintaining high safety and quality standards since the investment decision was made in December 2021.

Hydro is also planning a greenfield recycling facility in Spain, which will add another 120,000 tonnes of annual capacity to the company’s European operations.

About Hydro Székesfehérvár

Hydro’s aluminium manufacturing plant in Székesfehérvár, Hungary is the largest aluminium extrusion plant in Europe with six presses, surface coating capabilities, and 300 machines for fabrication.

The new recycling plant is built alongside Hydro’s existing extrusion plant in Szekesfehervar and will produce advanced alloys for extrusions used in the premium automotive segment. Using only five percent of the energy originally needed to produce the metal, the plant will also provide customers with the opportunity to close the loop by taking back both production scrap and post-consumer scrap, which is recycled into new products.

Media Contact:

Jacob Nielsen
Director Communication, Hydro Extrusions
jacob.nielsen@hydro.com
+47 903 65 216

SOURCE: Norsk Hydro ASA