Hydro’s CIRCAL 100R aluminum helps to decarbonize Europe’s building industry

Hydro’s CIRCAL 100R aluminum helps to decarbonize Europe’s building industry

(IN BRIEF) Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium producer, has delivered its first ever batch of aluminium profiles made with 100% recycled post-consumer aluminium to the Innovationsbogen project in Augsburg, Germany. Through its building system brand WICONA, the company will provide door, window and curtain walling profiles made from the Hydro CIRCAL 100R aluminium to the project, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 527 tonnes and will help to decarbonise Europe’s building industry. The aluminium has a near-zero carbon footprint of less than 0.5kg CO2e/kg aluminium throughout the value chain. The delivery marks a milestone for Hydro and will enable architects and builders to reduce the climate impact of buildings.

(PRESS RELEASE) OSLO, 22-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Hydro, through its building system brand WICONA, is the first aluminium producer in the world to deliver aluminium made with near-zero carbon footprint to a building project in Europe. WICONA will deliver door, window and curtain walling profiles made from 100 percent recycled post-consumer aluminum. Near-zero aluminium is defined as aluminium with a footprint of less than 0.5kg CO2e /kg aluminium throughout the value chain.

Decarbonizing the building and construction industry

“Covering such a high profile building in Europe with a near-zero aluminium façade is a milestone achievement for Hydro. We are proud to partner with forward leaning customers to lower their carbon footprint. This landmark project in Augsburg, Germany is part of Hydro’s contribution to decarbonize the biggest industries in the world using low-carbon, recycled aluminium,” says Eivind Kallevik, Executive Vice President of Hydro Aluminium Metal.

In total, WICONA will deliver 85 tonnes of Hydro CIRCAL 100R to the project. The use of post-consumer scrap significantly reduces the CO2 footprint compared to pre-consumer/process scrap as well as primary aluminium.

“Hydro CIRCAL 100R has provided completely new possibilities for architects and builders to reduce the climate impact of buildings. With 100 percent recycled post-consumer aluminium, we can make another step change and prove that zero-carbon footprint in buildings is possible. It is an important contribution to a fully circular economy,” says Henri Gomez, Senior Vice President Hydro Building Systems.

Using 100 percent post-consumer aluminium scrap is a challenge because of the many complex elements a product brings with it after it reaches end of life, such as paint, plastics and other contaminants.

“I am proud to say that our recycling organization has embraced the challenge of using complex scrap types. The production milestone was only possible because of our competent workforce and Hydro’s state-of-the-art recycling technology, which includes sorting, shredding and melting technologies,” says Kallevik.

About the Innovationsbogen Project

Innovationsbogen is the first construction project to be built as part of the new Walter Innovation Campus in the Augsburg Innovation Park. The construction of the building project in Augsburg is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter this year. Hydro produced the first batch of Hydro CIRCAL 100R in April 2022.

About WICONA

WICONA is a brand of Hydro Building Systems. WICONA is a German brand founded in Ulm in 1948, WICONA has become a global benchmark for technologically advanced aluminium solutions for curtain walls, solar protection, doors and windows, including bullet and fireproof systems. It has introduced to the market the most advanced innovations that have been progressively adopted by all manufacturers, including the thermal breaks for aluminium frames.

Media Contact:

Kristin Karlstad
Head of Communication & Public Affairs, Hydro Aluminium Metal
Tel: +47 99 22 66 04
Email: kristin.karlstad@hydro.com

SOURCE: Norsk Hydro ASA