Norwegian firm Hydro has opened a new aluminium recycling plant in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, that will eventually process 90,000 t/yr of post-consumer scrap, the company said today.
The new facility sits alongside Hydro's extrusion plant in Szekesfehervar, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The company invested 360mn kroner (€33.2mn) in a new high-strength extrusion press at the plant last year, which is scheduled to deliver its first product in 2025. The production scrap from the extrusion and fabrication processes will now be fed into the melting furnace at the new recycling plant.
The facility will have an initial processing capacity of 15,000 t/yr before rising to full capacity over the coming years.
"Our customers are not only asking for recycled and low-carbon aluminium. They also need us to recycle their process scrap, so we can create closed loops. With our new and modern recycling facility in Hungary, we are now able to offer that," executive vice-president of Hydro Extrusions, Paul Warton, said.
The Szekesfehervar facility mainly provides advanced aluminium components to the automotive market in Europe.
