Photo courtesy of Norsk Hydro
Norway-based aluminum producer Norsk Hydro says it will $16.1 million to upgrade its recycled-content extrusion plant in Atessa, Italy. The upgrade will enable Atessa to produce Hydro Circal branded aluminum.
The investment in Atessa, which is near the Adriatic Sea coast in central Italy, will expand the plant’s annual capacity from 30,000 to 40,000 metric tons of aluminum. The firm says 20,000 metric tons of that total will consist of recycled-content, low-carbon aluminum made with 75 percent postconsumer scrap.
Much of the money being spent will go toward the acquisition of recycling equipment, says Hydro, including a de-lacquering line, an additional furnace and other expenses it refers to as upgrades.
“The availability of recycled, low-carbon aluminum made of postconsumer scrap is extremely important for our further growth and profitability,” says Paul Warton, executive vice president of Hydro Extrusions. “It is one of our unique selling points and currently our ambitions exceed our capacity.”
The introduction of Circular production in Atessa is particularly set to play an important role in the growth and profitability of Hydro Building Systems (HBS), says the company.
The additional capacity in Atessa also can supports HBS’s ambitions to extend its reach into markets in the Middle East, Asia and China.
The plant expansion also backs a Hydro concept called Window to Window (W2W). Hydro describes W2W as “an innovative recycling initiative aimed at transforming old aluminum windows into new ones through a fully traceable process.”
The initiative supports Hydro’s sustainability agenda and fosters significant economic value by using postconsumer scrap directly sourced from renovation projects, says the company.
“There are many refurbishment projects in Italy where old aluminum windows and doors are replaced with new ones,” states Hydro. The investment will enable the Atessa operations to bring in scrap from these refurbishment projects equal to 75 percent of its current window material sales volume.
Latest from Recycling Today
- Aurubis expands Copper Mark certification
- Novelis to increase recycled content to 75 percent
- Battery recyclers among those selected for DOE funds
- Recyclers, equipment manufacturers unite to fund cancer research
- URT, Hanil Eco Solutions partner to achieve Basel compliance
- BMW of North America partners with Redwood Materials
- OCC, mixed paper demand in flux; experts say it's 'not going anywhere'
- APR launches new digital tool for design guide
