Mercedes-Benz and Hydro team up to reduce aluminium’s CO2 footprint in the supply chain
Mercedes-Benz AG has announced a partnership with Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro, with the aim of reducing the CO2 footprint of aluminium in the automotive supply chain. This is a further step towards its goal of reducing CO2 emissions by more than 50% by the end of this decade, and in line with its ‘Ambition 2039’ strategy.
The CO2-reduced aluminium, which is expected to be almost 70%, will be integrated into the electrified models of the Mercedes-EQ range, starting in 2023. Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Head of Technology, Development and Procurement, Markus Schäfer, said:
“Aluminium is becoming increasingly important as a lightweight material in electric vehicles. We are working intensively with our partners to find levers to reduce CO2 emissions in the aluminium supply chain.
I am therefore very pleased that we are now joining forces with Hydro as a long-standing expert in renewable energy production to address one of the biggest challenges in the automotive industry. This is an important signal to accelerate change in the aluminium industry and increase the availability of low carbon aluminium.”
Hydro already currently supplies CO2-reduced aluminium to Mercedes-Benz for its smelter in Stuttgart Mettingen. The partnership is now being taken to a new level to optimise the decarbonisation processes for aluminium used in vehicle manufacturing. Along with steel, aluminium is proportionally the most widely used material in many vehicles.
The agreement also encompasses the goal of reducing the use of primary resources through increased use of secondary materials, within the framework of creating a closed material cycle. They claim that “producing aluminium using secondary material requires only 5% of the energy compared to aluminium production based on primary resources”.
They have also agreed to explore solutions for the market adoption of an independent certification system. Hydro president and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim added:
“Mercedes-Benz is a forward-thinking company and a perfect partner for Hydro. The ambition to make its entire fleet of new passenger cars CO2 neutral by 2039 matches Hydro’s ambition to offer carbon-free aluminium on an industrial scale by 2030.
Partnerships and collaboration across value chains can accelerate the technological developments needed to reduce emissions, and we are excited to have Mercedes join us on our journey towards zero-carbon aluminium.”
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