The Mercedes-Benz Supplier Award is presented annually to highlight outstanding performance by supplier partners in three categories: innovation, quality and sustainability. The award comes after Mercedes-Benz received the delivery of the first batch of Hydro REDUXA 3.0 low-carbon aluminium earlier this year. The aluminium was produced at Hydro’s Årdal plant in Norway with hydroelectric power, contains a minimum 25 percent post-consumer scrap content and its carbon footprint is around 70 percent lower than the European average.

“This award is a fantastic recognition of our efforts to drive sustainability in aluminium production. It demonstrates a key customer’s appreciation of Hydro’s commitment to decarbonize and minimize environmental impact along the entire aluminium value chain,” says President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim, who received the award on behalf of Hydro.

Hydro aims to become a net-zero company, making net-zero products, enabling a net-zero society, by 2050. The company is currently on track to reduce its own carbon emissions by 10 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030, compared to 2018 levels. Full decarbonization will be achieved by increasing the recycling of post-consumer scrap in combination with the introduction of new technology. This includes Carbon Capture Storage (CCS), hydrogen, as well as new in-house technology currently under development with the potential to eliminate carbon emissions from primary aluminium production altogether.

Hydro’s 2030 environment strategy also sets an ambition to achieve no net-loss of biodiversity in new projects across Hydro’s business areas and to eliminate the need for landfilling of recoverable waste and permanent storage of bauxite residue. Mercedes-Benz representatives visited Hydro’s bauxite and alumina operations in the Brazilian state of Pará earlier this year.

“I am deeply impressed by Mercedes-Benz’ efforts to secure transparency and traceability throughout the value chain. Hydro acknowledges that full commitment to responsibility and sustainability is the only possible way of conducting our operations in Brazil and elsewhere. We are proud of our achievements and  thankful that Mercedes-Benz sees us as part of the solution for the green transition,” says Aasheim.

Carmakers rely on aluminium, a strong and light metal, to reduce weight without compromising safety. Hydro is a large supplier of both aluminium metal and extruded solutions to the automotive industry and has supplied aluminium components to Mercedes-Benz for many years. 

In December 2022, the two companies signed a partnership agreement to develop a joint technology roadmap for low-carbon automotive solutions. Hydro’s REDUXA 3.0 aluminium, with a carbon footprint of just 2.8 kg CO2 per kg aluminium, is part of this. It passed testing at Mercedes-Benz and will be introduced in large scale production already this year, starting with the EQS and EQE series of electric cars.  

“In order to successfully deliver on our decarbonization strategies, we need to team up with frontrunners like Mercedes-Benz.​ Working in strategic partnerships with customers and other players in the value chain is an important way for Hydro to achieve our ambitions of shaping the market for low and near-zero carbon aluminium,” says Aasheim.