Audi eyes use of its own aluminum scrap in Hungary

The Györ, Hungary-based Audi Hungaria Zrt operation of the Germany-based Volkswagen Group says it is preparing to manage the approximately 38,000 metric tons of aluminum it consumes there per year in part by creating what it calls an aluminum closed loop.

“With the aluminum closed loop, aluminum [scrap] arising during production is returned to the supplier, who uses it to produce aluminum coils of original quality and returns these to Audi,” states the automaker in a press release. The firm does not name the aluminum producer with whom it cooperates to “close the loop and provide for sustainable production.”

On its website, Audi says the Györ facility “develops and produces engines for Audi and other companies of the Volkswagen Group.”  Assembly operations also now take place at the site. “Audi Hungaria produced a total of 1,968,742 engines and 164,817 automobiles in Győr” in 2019, according to Audi.

States Alfons Dintner, chairman of the board of management of Audi Hungaria, “We are not only reducing factory CO₂ emissions, but are also implementing measures that transcend the plant’s grounds to reduce our carbon footprint. Our motivation is the Volkswagen and Audi Group’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. The aluminum closed loop plays an important role here. We are pleased to be implementing it at Audi Hungaria in the near future.”

Audi Hungaria describes its aluminum closed loop process as having the ability to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources by recycling aluminum scrap “as secondary raw materials of original quality.”

Adds the firm, “Thanks to this recycling with no loss in quality, the automobiles produced at the site begin their life cycle with a more favorable life cycle assessment. The production of this secondary aluminum enables net energy savings of up to 95 percent compared with the production of primary aluminum.”