SOLUTION / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
Hydro has the world’s most carbon-friendly aluminium production plant
- Published 19 December 2022; updated 21 September 2026; estimated reading time 3 minutes. Listed as available under Industrial production and Circular economy.
- The page describes Hydro’s Karmøy technology pilot for primary aluminium production as having the world’s most climate- and energy-efficient technology. It says the pilot runs on renewable hydropower, adds 75,000 metric tonnes per year beside an existing plant with about 200,000 tonnes of annual capacity, and uses a fully integrated digital control platform with sensors for real-time process analysis; predictive optimization was described as under development.
- The technology, “HAL4e,” was developed by Hydro researchers in Norway and Germany with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, SINTEF and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE).
- Challenge and context: aluminium is used in trains, cars and other industries seeking lower emissions. The page’s demand forecast says aluminium demand could grow by up to 5% annually until 2025 (an expired forecast). Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely using about 5% of the energy of primary production, while primary production is highly energy-intensive.
- Hydro says its low-carbon aluminium combines renewable energy, energy-efficient production and recycled material. The article claims the Karmøy technology uses 15% less energy than the world average, emits 3.5 kg CO₂-equivalent per kg of aluminium, and compares this with 18–20 kg per kg for coal-based production. It estimates that global adoption could save energy equivalent to nearly Norway’s annual hydropower output.
- The company says pilot technology can be installed in new aluminium plants and elements introduced into existing plants to improve efficiency and operating stability. It cites rising global demand and tighter greenhouse-gas rules as market drivers, without a quantified market size.
- Norsk Hydro was founded in 1905 as a hydropower company and is described as one of the largest aluminium producers, with plants in over 40 countries including Brazil, Germany and Norway. The page says the Norwegian government owns 40%.
- Linked to SDG 9, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, and SDG 12, Responsible consumption and production, for reducing energy use/emissions and material footprints.
- Contact: Gustav Saastad, Vice President, Head of Group Government Affairs, gustav.saastad@hydro.com. Phone number is behind a collapsed reveal control. Company: NORSK HYDRO ASA, Drammensveien 264, 0283 Oslo, Norway; hydro.com/en/global/about-hydro/changing-the-game/.