Hydro commissions new aluminium recycling plant in Szekesfehervar, Hungary

On September 11, 2024, Hydro announced the commissioning of a new aluminium recycling plant in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, with an annual capacity of 90,000 tonnes. The plant will produce recycled aluminium products to meet the growing demand for secondary metals in the automotive sector.

Initially, the recycling plant will begin with recycling 15,000 tonnes of post-consumer scrap annually and gradually increase the output in line with customers’ demands.

President and CEO Eivind Kallevik said, “Our most ambitious customers in key industries like the automotive industry are pushing demand for low-carbon and recycled aluminium upwards. To serve this growing market and strengthen Hydro’s position as the leading provider of low-carbon and recycled aluminium solutions in Europe, we are set to grow our capacity for aluminium recycling towards 2030. This plant will strengthen Hydro’s capacity to provide our customers with advanced components in recycled aluminium.”

The plant is strategically located next to Hydro’s aluminium extrusion plant in Szekesfehervar so that the production scraps that are naturally produced during extrusion and fabrication processes, can be directed straight into the melting furnace in the new recycling facility for the re-creation of extruded aluminium into new car parts. This process, in turn, will boost Hydro’s decarbonisation and a circular economy.

Paul Warton, Executive Vice President of Hydro Extrusions, said: “Our customers are not only asking for recycled and low-carbon aluminium. They also need us to recycle their processed scrap so that we can create closed loops. With our new and modern recycling facility in Hungary, we are now able to offer that.”

He added, “The project team has worked extremely hard since we announced the investment decision in December 2021. They have kept the highest quality and safety standards, so they should be proud.”

The extrusion plant in Szekesfehervar is also building a new extrusion press for automotive products, slated to start production in 2025.

Hydro is also planning to build a greenfield aluminium recycling plant in Spain, which will have the ability to recycle up to 70,000 tonnes of post-consumer scrap annually.