Year in brief

Hydro to close extrusion plant at Karmøy in 2012

(December 08, 2010)

Hydro has decided to phase out its extrusion plant at Karmøy in 2012 as part of its work to restructure the production of aluminum profiles in Norway. Operations at the company’s extrusion plants at Magnor and Raufoss will be strengthened.

Fatality at Alunorf

(November 21, 2010)

One person died in an accident at the Alunorf rolling mill in Neuss, Germany, on Saturday morning.

Hydro CEO named to EAA post

(October 22, 2010)

Svein Richard Brandtzæg, president and CEO of Hydro, has been elected vice chairperson of the European Aluminium Association (EAA).

Hydro to invest NOK 850 million in Rjukan hydropower upgrade

(September 27, 2010)

Hydro will invest about 850 million Norwegian kroner from 2011 to 2015 to upgrade the Rjukan hydropower system in Telemark, southeast Norway, modernizing the major hydro-electric river facility to ensure long-term safe and stable power supplies.

Energy-efficient building delivers power to German consumers

(September 23, 2010)

Since Hydro in March started measuring energy production and consumption at the company’s German test center for energy-efficient aluminium building solutions, the building has produced as much as four times more power than it has used.

Hydro increases improvement ambition from USD 100 to USD 300 per tonne

(September 22, 2010)

Hydro’s ambition to improve earnings from its wholly owned smelters by USD 100 per tonne is now being increased to USD 300 per tonne. The measures aim to improve the aluminium smelters’ competitiveness and restore profitability to a sustainable level.

Qatalum resumes production

(September 15, 2010)

The Qatalum plant in Qatar restarted aluminium production on Wednesday from the first cell, following a shutdown on August 10.

Again on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes

(September 09, 2010)

Hydro has again been named a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI World).

Power outage stops production at Qatalum

(August 10, 2010)

The Qatalum aluminium plant in Qatar halted metal production following a power outage at 04.40 Monday, August 9.

Hydro takes full control of Taiwan remelter

(July 30, 2010)

Hydro has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 15.1 percent of the Formosa Alloy Materials Company (Famco). The Taiwan aluminium remelt plant consequently becomes a fully owned subsidiary of Hydro.

Final results of the rights issue

(July 13, 2010)

Norsk Hydro ASA’s (Hydro) Board of Directors has today approved the final allocation of the shares offered in the rights issue based on the allocation criteria set out in the prospectus dated June 21, 2010.

Hydro to build aluminium recycling plant at Karmøy

(May 26, 2010)

Hydro will build Norway’s largest plant for aluminium recycling at Karmøy.

Hydro CEO new chair of IAI

(May 18, 2010)

Hydro's President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg has been elected chairperson of International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the global aluminium industry association.

Two new board members in Hydro

(May 07, 2010)

The Corporate Assembly in Norsk Hydro ASA on Friday approved two new members of the company’s Board of Directors, Liv Monica Bargem Stubholt and Eva Persson.

Hydro takes over Vale's aluminium business in transforming transaction

(May 02, 2010)

Norsk Hydro ASA has signed an agreement to take over Vale S.A’s aluminium businesses to form a resource-rich and fully integrated aluminium company, securing Hydro's bauxite supplies in a 100-year perspective.

Qatalum: contender for top spot in the world of aluminium

(April 12, 2010)

The official opening ceremony of Qatalum not only represents a monumental milestone for Hydro, but also the arrival of a top contender in the world of aluminium.

Hydro fined over UK fatality

(March 26, 2010) Hydro has been fined GBP 100,000 (NOK 0.9 million) in connection with the death of a worker at the company's aluminium extrusion plant in Birtley, in the United Kingdom. The worker, Jens Hinrichs, was fatally injured in an accident on November 2, 2006.

New member of Hydro's Corporate Management Board

(March 16, 2010)

Wenche Agerup has been appointed executive vice president and head of Corporate Staffs in Hydro.

Hydro closes aluminium tubing plant in Michigan

(March 01, 2010)

Hydro has discontinued production and closed the doors at its aluminium tubing plant in Michigan, winding up the closure process that started last year and ending 70 years of manufacturing operations at the Adrian site.

Hydro increases ownership in Taiwan remelt plant

(January 27, 2010)

Hydro has signed an agreement to increase its ownership stake in Famco from currently 45 percent to a controlling majority stake.

Production resumes at Suldal 1 power station

(January 21, 2010)

Production at Hydro’s power station Suldal 1 in western Norway has resumed after a long break from renovation of the water supply system at the station.

Divestment of Spanish rolling mill completed

(January 11, 2010)

The sale of Hydro's rolled products plant Inasa in Irurtzun, Spain, was finalized December 31, 2009.

Automotive Structures divestment completed

(January 04, 2010)

The sale of Hydro's Automotive Structures business to the Germany-based Benteler Group has been finalized. The unit's 1,200 employees joined Benteler on January 1.