Hydro Invests in Upgrading Recycling Capacity in Italy
Hydro has announced a strategic investment to upgrade its recycling capacity at the Atessa plant in Italy. This initiative will expand the plant's annual recycling capacity from 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes, with 20,000 tonnes sourced from recycled, low-carbon aluminium made from 75 percent recycled post-consumer scrap.
The investment will focus on acquiring advanced recycling equipment, including a de-lacquering line, an additional furnace, and facility upgrades. Paul Warton, Executive Vice President of Hydro Extrusions, emphasized the importance of this upgrade for the company's growth and profitability, highlighting the significance of recycled, low-carbon aluminium as a unique selling point.
The enhanced capacity at Atessa is expected to play a crucial role in the growth and profitability of Hydro Building Systems (HBS). It also aligns with HBS's ambitions to expand its market reach into the Middle East, Asia, and China.
This investment bolsters HBS's circular economy model, particularly through the Window to Window (W2W) concept. The W2W initiative aims to transform old aluminium windows into new ones through a fully traceable process, supporting Hydro's sustainability goals and generating economic value by utilizing post-consumer scrap from renovation projects.
The Atessa plant, one of Hydro Building Systems' most profitable operations, will now replace 75 percent of its current sales volume with post-consumer scrap from Italian refurbishment projects. With brands such as WICONA, TECHNAL, SAPA, and DOMAL, the plant serves the Italian and European building and construction markets with low-carbon, recycled aluminium extrusions for doors, windows, and facades. In 2023, Atessa had an operating revenue of close to EUR 75 million.
