Hydro and Mercedes-Benz are expanding their partnership to increase the use of recycled and low-carbon aluminium across Europe.
As a first step, Mercedes-Benz will become the first automotive company in Europe to integrate Hydro Circal into series production for the next generation of large electric vehicles.
This recycled aluminium is made with at least 75% post-consumer scrap, a major increase from today’s minimum of 25%.
The material is produced through recycling processes that recover aluminium from end-of-life vehicles, buildings, and infrastructure and return it to new automotive applications.
Eivind Kallevik, President and CEO of Hydro, said: “The automotive industry needs materials that can cut emissions without compromising quality, safety or performance.
“By combining Hydro Circal recycled aluminium with Hydro Reduxa low-carbon primary aluminium, we can accelerate the transition to lower-carbon vehicles while building more resilient value chains.
“This partnership shows how Hydro, as a leading supplier of recycled and low-carbon aluminium, can deliver industrial scale solutions that support both decarbonisation and competitiveness.”
Hydro and Mercedes-Benz will continue to explore additional opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of aluminium at industrial scale.
At the core of their partnership is a collaboration on low-carbon primary aluminium.
This includes sourcing additional volumes of Hydro Reduxa for Mercedes-Benz as well as a joint commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of this material over time.
As a complimentary solution, with Hydro Circal, the companies will keep aluminium in circulation to help meet growing demand, reducing the need for new raw materials and lowering the overall carbon footprint.
This will also demonstrate that high levels of post-consumer recycled content can be achieved without compromising stringent requirements for performance, quality, and safety.
At the same time, collecting, remaking and reusing aluminium scrap close to production creates shorter, more efficient, and more resilient regional supply chains.