Car manufacturers are increasingly adopting lightweight materials in their vehicles and reducing emissions.

Due to this industrial megatrend, Hydro has made strategic investments in Norway and Germany in recent years to meet this demand and, at the same time, ensure the viability of high industrial competence jobs in both countries.

Germany's new automotive line is a great example of this.

“It will be a pleasure to show the result of the great efforts made by our best engineers, leaders and operators. It takes years of research, experience and ingenuity - in close cooperation with the world's leading automotive industry in Europe - to achieve this level of innovative development. Our new automotive line will help make millions of cars lighter each year and strengthen Hydro's position as a fundamental element of modern society - which leaves Grevenbroich Hydro with the “Made in Europe” quality label - Mit Leichtigkeit! , said Hydro President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg.

Made in Europe!

The investment in the new automotive line is closely linked to the investments that Hydro has been making in the upstream segment of its value chain in Norway.
Over the past two years, the foundry factories in Sunndal, Hoeyanger, Aardal and Karmoy have been modernized with innovations and new equipment, specially designed to meet the demands of car manufacturers.

Altogether, investments correspond to almost NOK 150 million. A new foundry technology is being implemented in Hoeyanger and Aardal, where Hydro produces sheets for laminates that, in factories in Germany, are transformed into sheets for application in the so-called “ hang-on ” components, such as doors, hoods and trunk covers.