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Insights

Transparency and fact-based communication are necessary to be a trusted partner for all our stakeholders. Communicating around our offerings can be a balancing act.

To make it easier for customers and stakeholders to navigate our sustainability efforts and greener products, we’ve developed an overview outlining our key sustainability claims, with explanations and supporting facts.

If you have questions regarding how we communicate about sustainability, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Claim #1

What we say:

Hydro’s low-carbon primary aluminium products carry a carbon footprint below 4 kilo CO2-equivalents (CO2e) per kilo aluminium and are designed to help customers reach their sustainability goals and meet the growing demands of climate-conscious consumers.

Why we say it this way:

While low-carbon primary aluminium is not formally defined, we use the common definition of a carbon footprint of less than 4 CO2e/t Al as a reference, representing the very lowest achievable emissions with currently available technologies. This carbon footprint is ‘Cradle to Gate’: broadly equivalent to GHG Protocol scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 (categories 1 – purchased goods and services, 3 – Fuel and energy related activities, and 4 – Upstream transportation and distribution) measured at the smelter casthouse.  ASI uses the term ‘Mine to Metal’.

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Claim #2

What we say:

Our low-carbon offerings also include a range of recycled products with a high share of post-consumer aluminium scrap.

Why we say it this way

Using post-consumer aluminium scrap, which is aluminium that has lived a life in a product, drastically reduces the carbon footprint, while still offering high-quality metal that contributes to the circular economy.

Hydro CIRCAL is our brand of premium, low-carbon and recycled aluminium containing at least 75 percent post-consumer scrap. Through the use of such a high share of post-consumer scrap, Hydro CIRCAL has a market-leading average carbon footprint of 1.9 kilo CO2-equivalents (CO2e) per kilo aluminium. The production process is fully traceable from scrap to the recycled metal per batch, and the product is verified by DNV, an independent third party.

Hydro offers Hydro CIRCAL 75R and Hydro CIRCAL 100R, which is made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer scrap. Producing Hydro CIRCAL 100R is technically challenging, and is therefore currently only available in small, on-demand batches.

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Claim #3

What we say:

Hydro’s low-carbon primary aluminium is produced using renewable power in the form of wind, solar and hydropower.

Why we say it this way: 

Hydro REDUXA is our brand of low-carbon primary aluminium. Supplied from Hydro’s smelters, the Hydro REDUXA electrolysis process is based on 100 percent renewable power from renewable sources: hydropower, wind and solar. 

Using renewable energy, we can produce aluminium with lower emissions, reducing the carbon footprint per kg of aluminium to 4.0 or less, which is about a quarter of the global average.

Hydro REDUXA is verified according to ISO 14064 by DNV, covering all carbon emissions from bauxite mining and alumina refining to the production of aluminium in electrolysis and casting.

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Claim #4

What we say:

Aluminium can be infinitely recycled, retaining all its qualities no matter how many times it’s recycled. To do so requires 95 percent less energy than the production of primary aluminium.

Why we say it this way: 

Few materials are as easily recycled as aluminium. Recycling aluminium requires only 5 percent of the energy used for production of primary aluminium, saving both energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

Unlike pre-consumer scrap originating from aluminium production and extrusion processes, post-consumer scrap has lived a past life as beverage cans, windows, car parts or any other consumer product. It comes with a carbon footprint close to zero since the emissions have already been accounted for. This is why recycling more post-consumer aluminium scrap is vital to accelerate emission cuts.

One of the main challenges related to recycling of post-consumer scrap is to make sure that the quality of the metal is preserved in the recycling process, and to identify the alloys and properties of the used metal Hydro purchases. The metal must be collected and properly sorted, before being recycled back to high quality products. 

Hydro’s proprietary HySort technology, utilizing laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), allows Hydro to dig deeper into the scrap pile to recycle aluminium that would otherwise end up in landfills. Pioneered at Hydro’s recycling hub in Dormagen, Germany, the technology was introduced to the US market in September 2024.

When using a high proportion of recycled content in aluminium, the main challenge is how to meet the specific alloy requirements of the end products. This is possible only by putting together a very precise mixture of scrap qualities.

Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and retains all its qualities no matter how many times it’s recycled. This is why it’s called a permanent material. 

Aluminium’s properties make it ideal for recycling, helping to avoid waste, reduce carbon emissions, and create a more circular economy. The recycling of post-consumer aluminium scrap with decarbonized operations is one of the main pathways to zero-carbon aluminium production by 2030.

Hydro offers a range of different recycled aluminium products, all from ASI certified plants and backed by Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), which is compliant with the ISO 14025 standard.

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Claim #5

What we say:

Hydro offers a range of different recycled aluminium products, all from ASI certified plants and backed by Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), which is compliant with the ISO 14025 standard.

Why we say it this way:

Hydro CIRCAL is our brand of premium, low-carbon and recycled aluminium containing at least 75 percent post-consumer scrap. Through the use of such a high share of post-consumer scrap, Hydro CIRCAL has a market-leading average carbon footprint of 1.9 kilo CO2-equivalents (CO2e) per kilo aluminium. The production process is fully traceable from scrap to the recycled metal per batch, and the product is verified by DNV, an independent third party.

The recently updated Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) covers the European recyclers and documents an average embodied footprint from the Hydro CIRCAL production of only 1.9 kg of CO2e/kg of aluminium, down from the previous 2.3 kg of CO2e/kg of aluminium.

ASI is a multi-stakeholder organization with more than 290 members, including major aluminium producers and important aluminium users such as Hydro, BMW, Audi, Nespresso, Heineken and Apple, in addition to representatives of civil society.

More than 60 Hydro sites are currently ASI certified according to the Performance Standard, representing our aluminium value chain from bauxite mining to finished products. We have also certified several sites according to the Chain of Custody standard, and delivered our first ASI certified metal to a customer in July 2019.

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Claim #6

What we say: 

Using post-consumer scrap, which is aluminium that has lived a life in a product, drastically reduces the carbon footprint, while still offering high-quality metal that contributes to the circular economy.

Why we say it this way: 

Production of primary aluminium through the Hall Heroult electrolysis process is energy intensive. The carbon footprint of primary aluminium is thus highly dependent on the source of electricity used. As a result, the carbon footprint of primary aluminium varies between less than 4 tonnes CO2 equivalents per tonne aluminium in hydropower-based regions to more than 20 tonnes CO2 equivalents per tonne aluminium in certain coal power-based regions. The recycling process of aluminium, however, requires less energy than primary aluminium production, and thus emits less CO2 - approximately 0.5 tonnes CO2 equivalents per tonne aluminium.

With the low carbon footprint of the recycling process for aluminium, the question arises: what is the carbon footprint of the recycled aluminium itself? It is then necessary to look at the history of the recycled aluminium. Post-consumer scrap is defined as aluminium scrap that comes from products which have fulfilled the purpose for which they were produced. This scrap might range from aluminium cans with a lifetime of about 60 days to buildings with a lifetime of more than 50 years. When this scrap is recycled, it starts its second life as a recycled product, with no carbon footprint history attached to it. As a result, post-consumer scrap has a carbon footprint of about 0.5 tonnes CO2 per tonne aluminium. This results from scrap collection, transport, sorting and remelting.

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Claim #7

What we say: 

Hydro CIRCAL is our brand of premium, low-carbon and recycled aluminium containing at least 75 percent post-consumer scrap. Through the use of such a high share of post-consumer scrap, Hydro CIRCAL has a market-leading average carbon footprint of 1.9 kilo CO2-equivalents (CO2e) per kilo aluminium. The production process is fully traceable from scrap to the recycled metal per batch, and the product is verified by DNV, an independent third party.

Why we say it this way: 

Hydro CIRCAL is our range of premium recycled aluminium, based on minimum 75 percent scrapped products that have lived a previous and useful life. With advanced and patented sorting technology, Hydro remelts scrap into aluminium used in electric vehicles, designer furniture, consumer electronics and building facades.

Production of primary aluminium through the Hall Heroult electrolysis process is energy intensive. The carbon footprint of primary aluminium is thus highly dependent on the source of electricity used. As a result, the carbon footprint of primary aluminium varies between less than 4 tonnes CO2 equivalents per tonne aluminium in hydropower-based regions to more than 20 tonnes CO2-equivalents per tonne aluminium in coal power-based regions. The recycling process of aluminium, however, requires a lot less energy than primary aluminium production, and thus emits less CO2, approximately 0.5 tonnes CO2 equivalents per tonne aluminium.

With the low carbon footprint of the recycling process for aluminium, the question arises: what is the carbon footprint of the recycled aluminium itself? It is then necessary to look at the history of the recycled aluminium. Post-consumer scrap is defined as aluminium scrap that comes from products which have fulfilled the purpose for which they were produced. This scrap might range from aluminium cans with a lifetime of about 60 days to buildings with a lifetime of more than 50 years. When this scrap is recycled, it starts its second life as a recycled product, with no carbon footprint history attached to it. As a result, post-consumer scrap has a carbon footprint of about 0.5 tonnes CO2 per tonne aluminium. This results from scrap collection, transport, sorting and remelting.

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Claim #8

What we say: 

Hydro Recycled Aluminium offerings also include certified recycled aluminium made from a mix of pre- and post-consumer scrap and primary aluminium. This scrap is recycled locally so it can enter back into production and become recycled aluminium with the same physical qualities as other types of aluminium. By collecting and recycling scrap close to the source, our customers contribute to the local economy while getting the best service and response time.

Why we say it this way:

Hydro is constantly working to decrease the amount of production scrap generated in the manufacturing process, also referred to as pre-consumer scrap. But even the most advanced aluminium manufacturing generates some scrap, and this scrap should be utilized to avoid waste. This is why our Hydro Recycled Aluminium offerings also include certified recycled aluminium made from a mix of pre- and post-consumer scrap and primary aluminium. 

This scrap is recycled locally so it can enter back into production and become recycled aluminium with the same physical qualities as other types of aluminium. By collecting and recycling scrap close to the source, our customers contribute to the local economy while getting the best service and response time. This recycled aluminium is also followed by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), stating the average shares of pre-consumer scrap, post-consumer scrap and the carbon footprint from each production location.

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Claim #9

What we say: 

We master every step of the aluminium value chain, from bauxite mining, refining alumina, producing and extruding aluminium, and eventually recycling. This gives us a unique position to minimize our impact on nature, climate and society and continue to reduce the carbon footprint in line with our decarbonization ambitions.

Why we say it this way: 

The world has set a common ambition to strive for fairness and prosperity with a society where all basic needs are met, and nature is protected and restored. We all play an important part in creating such a world in which more than 9 billion people live well by 2050.

Industry, the financial markets and customers need to be the main drivers to combat climate change and implement the green transition. At the same time, in order for us to reach the climate targets in the Paris Agreement, we also need help from, and must work together with, regulators and governments to enable this transition.

Business plays an important role, as we can contribute to a just transition and protect nature by developing new technologies and solutions.

For Hydro as an industrial company, we know we are part of the problem. But that also makes us part of the solution. Throughout our value chain, we are working to contribute to creating a fair society and circular economy by producing responsibly, delivering circular solutions, making net-zero aluminium by 2050 or earlier, and producing and using more renewable energy.

Hydro owns and operates its fully integrated global aluminium value chain through its four business areas: 

  • Hydro Bauxite & Alumina represents the first two links of the aluminium value chain through bauxite mining and alumina refining
  • Hydro Energy is a major renewables producer, market operator and developer of businesses for the energy transition
  • Hydro Aluminium Metal is a leading supplier of extrusion ingots, sheet ingots, foundry alloys, wire rods and high purity aluminium with a global production network
  • Hydro Extrusions delivers tailored aluminium components and solutions to customers around the world. Uniting experts is the best way of creating innovation and developing aluminium solutions for the future

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Claim #10

What we say:

Hydro Low-Carbon Aluminium and Hydro Recycled Aluminium come with a documented environmental footprint, from mining or scrap source to the final metal, including input materials and transportation (Scope 1-3).

Why we say it this way: 

As we take the next step towards pioneering the green aluminium transition, we are reviewing every step of our value chain, ensuring transparency and minimizing harmful practices from the mine to the end-product.

The aim of Hydro’s sustainability reporting is to ensure accountability and transparency on our opportunities and challenges related to sustainable development.

In 2023, we changed and restructured our sustainability disclosures based on the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the applicable European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

The reporting is also based on other relevant frameworks and standards, such as GRI Standards for Sustainability reporting including a materiality assessment, UN Global Compact, International Council of Mining and Metals 10 principles, and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We have an integrated approach to our reporting, and you can read more about our reporting approach and what we are basing it on in Hydro’s annual reports.

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