The new electricity contract will replace parts of an existing combination of internal and external electricity supply agreements. These were completed in 2012 and will continue to supply the Rheinwerk, Hydros aluminum smelter in Neuss, with a total of 2.2 TWh per year (corresponds to 250 MW) until 2017.

In the period from 2018 to 2020, the further 1.3 TWh (150 MW) of the expiring arrangement for electricity supply will be covered by an internal electricity contract.

"Together with the ongoing efforts to improve the portfolio and in the wake of the fall in electricity prices traded on the German electricity exchange by around EUR 20 per megawatt hour since 2012, the new contract will make our German aluminum triangle more competitive with the smelter and rolling mill in Alunorf Neuss and the finishing mill in Grevenbroich continue to strengthen, ”says Hydro Group CEO Kjetil Ebbesberg, who heads the Rolled Products business area. & Nbsp;

The Rheinwerk owns the Hydro 100 percent. Currently, only two thirds of the possible capacity of 235,000 tons are produced in the smelter. The plant supplies rolled ingots cast from liquid metal and recycled liquid metal to the neighboring aluminum hot rolling mill Alunorf.

The Rheinwerk is currently increasing its capacity for recycling used aluminum beverage cans (UBC) by 50,000 tons; for Hydro, this contributes to lower metal costs and the achievement of the company's important goal of being carbon neutral in 2020.