Norsk Hydro and Mercedes-Benz have expanded the scope of a 2022 partnership and aim to scale the use of high-content recycled aluminum in automaking. Mercedes-Benz will become the first European automaker to integrate the Hydro CIRCAL recycled aluminum into its EV products.

In addition to increasing the volume of recycled aluminum in automotive design and production, the Hydro-Mercedes initiative emphasizes localized, low-carbon, and circular supply chains to reduce carbon emissions in the manufacturing process.

European Union regulations define carbon and “embodied emissions” in automotive materials, as well as the handling of recycled materials from “end of life vehicles.” BMW Group is another automaker that pursuing “green” aluminum in its material sourcing, including for automotive wheels cast at its Landshut, Germany, foundry.

Hydro CIRCAL is made with at least 75% post-consumer scrap, in contrast to the current minimum of 25% post-consumer scrap in recycled aluminum. Hydro Aluminium has adopted a specialized recycling and processing sequence - involving shredding and decoating; patented laser-based sorting to identify and isolate specific aluminum alloy series; and energy-saving melting and alloying - in its recovery of aluminum from end-of-life vehicles, construction, and infrastructure, .

The fully traceable Hydro CIRCAL materials will be supplied as extrusion billets for automotive or construction markets; or foundry alloys for wheels, battery boxes, structural castings, and engine parts.

“The automotive industry needs materials that can cut emissions without compromising quality, safety or performance. By combining Hydro CIRCAL recycled aluminum with Hydro REDUXA low-carbon primary aluminum, we can accelerate the transition to lower-carbon vehicles while building more resilient value chains,” stated Eivind Kallevik, Hydro president and CEO.

Hydro and Mercedes-Benz are working to define further opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of aluminum at industrial scale, including sourcing additional volumes of Hydro REDUXA for Mercedes-Benz and a joint commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of this material over time.

“The next generation of automotive supply chains will be defined by higher levels of circularity, a lower-carbon footprint and a deeper level of localization to enhance resilience and quality. Together with Hydro, we are helping to shape that future,” according to Mercedes’ head of procurement and supplier management, Yanni von Roy-Jiang.