The groundbreaking ceremony included local officials Kai Emanuel, who is District Administrator of North Saxony, and the mayor of Rackwitz, Steffen Schwalbe. All the employees at the plant, together with Hydro’s corporate management board, led by President & CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim, also took part in the event to help celebrate the start of construction on site.

"It is exciting to see the strong collaboration between our upstream and downstream aluminium business areas, Hydro Aluminium Metal and Hydro Extrusions, living our ambition of positioning Hydro as the leading supplier of low-carbon and recycled aluminium solutions," says Aasheim.

Matthias Hellmann, who is managing director of Hydro Extrusion Rackwitz, says the expansion project team has done a remarkable job, putting 110% into their work and going the extra mile when needed.

“In addition, every single person at this site has contributed to the fact that we are standing here today,” he says. “The work they do every day, every month, helps make us a little bit better – ONE TEAM."

Higher demand for aluminium extrusions in construction, transport and general engineering

The 8-inch press will raise Hydro’s extrusion capacity in Rackwitz by about 30%, thereby enabling the company to meet increasing demand, especially in the construction, transport and general engineering sectors.

The press also comes with a lower carbon footprint than the others. It is more energy-efficient, with its continuous ageing furnace projected to consume 20% less energy.

Hellmann calls the press a small sustainability story in its own right. He points out that the press is not new – Hydro bought it second-hand – and that the equipment is thus receiving new life.

Excellence and service combined

As a result of the investment, customers should receive a significant improvement in delivery time, mainly because it will be possible to operate even more flexibly with three presses, rather than two. The additional 12,000 tonnes of aluminum profiles, says Hellmann, will allow Hydro to further expand its customer service level and set the company apart from the competition in terms of quality.

“Our strategic partner in the field of fabrication, directly at the site, will also extend its capacities. This will ensure maximum flexibility in the finishing of complex profiles,” he says.

Start of operations at end of 2023

The construction phase of the EUR 11 million project has begun in the outer area of the plant, with the expansion of the extrusion ingot storage area. Construction work in the press hall will begin in the second quarter of this year.

Start of operations on the new press is expected at the end of 2023.

Read more about the Rackwitz extrusion plant here.