Hydro producing Circal aluminum in France

Norway-based Norsk Hydro has announced that its facility in Lucé, France, which makes aluminum ingots for the extrusions market, is Hydro’s first plant in France certified to produce Hydro Circal, a low-carbon recycled-content aluminum product containing at least 75 percent “postconsumer, end-of-life scrap.”

The initial annual production of Hydro Circal in Lucé is expected to be around 1,000 metric tons. By producing Circal in Lucé, Hydro says it will be able to supply customers in the region with more certified low-carbon aluminum.

“Our customers are asking for more low-carbon products to further lower their carbon footprint and it’s exciting to be able to offer Hydro Circal at Lucé,” says Eivind Kallevik, executive vice president at Hydro. “This also helps to accelerate the circular economy in Europe.”

Comments Karl Willart, director of operations at Hydro Lucé, “We are proud to be the first plant in France certified to produce Hydro Circal, producing low-carbon recycled aluminum for our customers. This is a great recognition of the team in Lucé, knowing how hard we have worked to get this certification.”

Hydro says Norway-based risk management and quality assurance company DNV-GL issued the certificate for Circal production in late October.

Increased recycling of postconsumer scrap is one of three main initiatives in Hydro’s climate strategy. Hydro says its goal is to double the use of such scrap by 2025, from around 250,000 metric tons annually to more than 500,000 metric tons per year.

“The use of postconsumer scrap significantly reduces the CO₂ footprint compared to pre-consumer (process) scrap as well as to primary aluminum,” Hydro says.

This May, Hydro says it produced its first batch of Circal 100R (made from 100 percent recycled content) at a facility in Clearveaux, Luxembourg.

The plant in Lucé dates back to 1959, and currently makes about 62,000 metric tons per year of recycled-content aluminum extrusion ingot.