Norsk Hydro joins First Movers Coalition to nurture a fully ‘green aluminium’ producing line by 2050

Hydro's CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim, in a recent announcement, has declared that the Norwegian aluminium and energy giant is finally joining the First Movers Coalition.

The President and CEO, Hilde Merete Aasheim, exclaimed with glee: "I am proud to announce that Hydro is joining the First Movers Coalition, signalling our determination to take responsibility and lead the way for the world to reach the climate targets. The challenge of climate change transcends borders and industries, and we can only maintain the critical climate pathway of 1.5ºC if we work together to create new markets for a sustainable future."

The First Movers Coalition is a collaborative effort of prominent global companies working together to leverage their purchasing power in promoting the use of low-carbon technologies to reduce global emissions. Spearheaded by the World Economic Forum and the US Government, the FMC focuses on addressing challenging sectors such as aluminium, aviation, chemicals, concrete, shipping, steel, and trucking, which are responsible for 30% of worldwide emissions.

In order for these sectors to decarbonize at the necessary pace to keep the planet on a 1.5-degree pathway, they require low-carbon technologies that are currently not competitive with carbon-intensive solutions.

Hydro, with the help of its fully integrated production line, can be a trailblazer in the global aluminium industry, spearheading the cause for 'green aluminium' and its untamed usage in the commercial sector. Also, Hydro, being an expert in renewable energy projects, can aid in sourcing and storing energy for future use, guiding the international aluminium value chain in a sustainable direction.

"The green transition starts with us. As the need for aluminium is growing fast as a critical material for the green transition, the need for carbon-neutral solutions is growing even faster. If we are to make aluminium production emission-free across the entire value chain, we need to change the game for how we make aluminium, signalling demand for more innovative technologies to make zero possible. The industry needs to join forces to make this happen," the CEO went on to elaborate.

FMC members have pledged to buy a certain percentage of near-zero or zero-carbon solutions from their suppliers, even though these solutions may come at a higher cost. If enough FMC members meet their demand commitments by 2030, it will create a tipping point in the market, which will drive down the cost and increase the availability of such solutions. This will lead to a transformation of these sectors towards more sustainable practices.

Hydro, through its extrusion business, has pledged to adopt the FMC Aluminium sector's commitment. This commitment involves procuring at least 10% (by volume) of all primary aluminium externally each year, which will be near-zero emissions of primary aluminium by 2030, as per the First Movers Coalition guidelines. Hydro also aspires to be a supplier of FMC by delivering near-zero emission aluminium before 2030 and successfully producing net-zero aluminium by 2050.