Hydro’s Rackwitz recycling facility plans to increase use of post-consumer aluminium

Hydro announced that its Rackwitz recycling plant will expand into production of the innovative HyForge forge stock segment. The new plant will start operations by end of first quarter 2023.

The expansions will increase the use of post-consumer aluminium to ensure market-leading sustainability performance.

“After successfully introducing this product at the Hydro Husnes primary plant, we are now taking this break-through step at Rackwitz for even smaller diameter billets while ensuring a best-in-class climate footprint through using a high share of post-consumer scrap in the process,” said Trond Olaf Christophersen, Head of Recycling in Hydro Aluminium Metal.

The facility will serve automotive customers with smaller-diameter, high-quality billets that may be forged directly into high-quality automotive components.

 “This project is an important contributor to Hydro reaching its target of doubling use of post-consumer aluminium by 2025,” said Christophersen.

The new facility is estimated to cost above EUR 40 million and will start shortly.

Forge stock is an aluminium billet with a smaller diameter than traditional billets, and with a superior surface quality. 

“The Rackwitz plant and the HyForge product tick all the right boxes when it comes to the automotive industry’s high-quality standards and rapidly increasing focus on sustainability,” said Christophersen. “This investment is a perfect fit to Hydro’s overall ambition to lift profitability and drive sustainability, and our ambitious growth targets within the fast-developing area of recycling.”

“We are already a preferred supplier in the automotive market and that position will only get stronger with the introduction of HyForge,” said Rackwitz Plant Manager Thomas Stuerzebecher.

The plant at present manufactures around 95 000 tonnes of extrusion ingot per year. The palnt now plans to manufactures an additional 25 – 30 000 tonnes as HyForge and increase the recycling of post-consumer scrap as a major raw material for new products in the plant.

“Through the high share of post-consumer scrap in HyForge to be delivered by Rackwitz, we are able to provide these products as Hydro REDUXA with a guaranteed CO2-footprint of below 4 kg CO2 per kilo aluminium – which is less than 25% of the global average for primary metal,” said Stuerzebecher.