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Hydro and Mercedes-Benz Partner for Recycled Low-Carbon Aluminium
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.
www.hydro.com
Mercedes-Benz CLA in the electrolysis hall at Hydro Årdal, where Hydro produces low-carbon aluminium for Europe’s automotive industry.
Hydro and Mercedes-Benz are expanding their strategic partnership to scale the use of recycled and low-carbon aluminium across European automotive manufacturing. The initiative combines Hydro CIRCAL recycled aluminium and Hydro REDUXA low-carbon primary aluminium for series production of next-generation large electric vehicles.
Context of the Cooperation
The automotive industry faces growing requirements to reduce carbon emissions across supply chains without compromising vehicle safety, quality, or performance standards. Scaling low-carbon mobility requires balancing decarbonization goals with commercial competitiveness and raw material availability.
To address these industry-wide sustainability and supply constraints, cooperation was expanded between aluminium producer Hydro and vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. The partnership leverages Hydro’s production and recycling technologies alongside Mercedes-Benz's procurement and vehicle manufacturing infrastructure to establish localized, resilient regional supply chains in Europe.
Technical Solution and Responsibilities
The technological framework combines two complementary aluminium material solutions—Hydro CIRCAL and Hydro REDUXA—to lower overall material carbon footprints. Responsibilities are distributed between the partners to align material production with automotive manufacturing:
Hydro and Mercedes-Benz are expanding their strategic partnership to scale the use of recycled and low-carbon aluminium across European automotive manufacturing. The initiative combines Hydro CIRCAL recycled aluminium and Hydro REDUXA low-carbon primary aluminium for series production of next-generation large electric vehicles.
Context of the Cooperation
The automotive industry faces growing requirements to reduce carbon emissions across supply chains without compromising vehicle safety, quality, or performance standards. Scaling low-carbon mobility requires balancing decarbonization goals with commercial competitiveness and raw material availability.
To address these industry-wide sustainability and supply constraints, cooperation was expanded between aluminium producer Hydro and vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. The partnership leverages Hydro’s production and recycling technologies alongside Mercedes-Benz's procurement and vehicle manufacturing infrastructure to establish localized, resilient regional supply chains in Europe.
Technical Solution and Responsibilities
The technological framework combines two complementary aluminium material solutions—Hydro CIRCAL and Hydro REDUXA—to lower overall material carbon footprints. Responsibilities are distributed between the partners to align material production with automotive manufacturing:
- Hydro is responsible for supplying low-carbon primary aluminium (Hydro REDUXA) and recycled aluminium (Hydro CIRCAL) processed through advanced sorting and recycling operations.
- Mercedes-Benz is responsible for integrating these materials into automotive component manufacturing and series vehicle production.
At a system level, Hydro CIRCAL is produced using advanced recycling processes that recover end-of-life aluminium scrap from vehicles, buildings, and infrastructure. The material contains at least 75 percent post-consumer scrap, representing a substantial increase from previous minimum thresholds of 25 percent. Concurrently, the collaboration involves sourcing expanded volumes of Hydro REDUXA primary aluminium to decarbonize the primary material route while lowering emissions over time.
Deployment or Implementation
The implementation strategy centers on introducing the recycled and low-carbon materials directly into series production workflows across European facilities. As an initial deployment step, Mercedes-Benz will become the first automotive manufacturer in Europe to integrate Hydro CIRCAL with 75 percent post-consumer scrap into series production for its next generation of large electric vehicles.
Collecting, remaking, and reusing scrap close to manufacturing locations creates shorter, localized regional supply chains that reduce the reliance on new raw materials while supporting continuous material circularity.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
Deployment or Implementation
The implementation strategy centers on introducing the recycled and low-carbon materials directly into series production workflows across European facilities. As an initial deployment step, Mercedes-Benz will become the first automotive manufacturer in Europe to integrate Hydro CIRCAL with 75 percent post-consumer scrap into series production for its next generation of large electric vehicles.
Collecting, remaking, and reusing scrap close to manufacturing locations creates shorter, localized regional supply chains that reduce the reliance on new raw materials while supporting continuous material circularity.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
