Share, , Google Plus, Pinterest,

Posted in:

Hydro Awarded Funding for New HyForge Line in Kentucky

© by Hydro

Hydro was awarded US$17.4 million in tax credits to introduce HyForge casting technology at its aluminum recycling plant in Henderson, Kentucky. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the credit under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Section 48C Qualifying Advanced Energy Project tax credit program in order to advance new technology for the automotive industry.

A man in a grey suit with a red bow tie
J. Duncan Pitchford, president of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA.

“We appreciate the support from the Department of Energy and the Department of the Treasury as well as their recognition of how Hydro’s recycling initiatives in the U.S. support strengthening supply chains for OEMs in America with domestically produced, low-carbon materials,” said J. Duncan Pitchford, president of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA. “This award acknowledges not only the groundbreaking technologies being deployed by Hydro, but also broad support from local and regional stakeholders for Hydro’s continued investment in the Henderson community.”

Aluminum’s strength-to-weight ratio allows it to replace heavier materials, saving both costs and emissions. Many industries like automotive choose aluminum for its low maintenance properties, durability, and resistance to corrosion, resulting in long-term resource savings.

The HyForge technology was pioneered by Hydro in Europe and is now being brought to the U.S., enabling the Henderson plant to serve the growing automotive market. The technology is able to cast forging stock with a smaller diameter than traditional billets used for extrusion and with a superior surface quality.

HyForge billets can be forged directly into high quality automotive components, like wheel suspension parts, without adding any further process steps traditionally required for production of automotive forging stock, such as extrusion or homogenization. Because this technology eliminates these production steps, it also delivers cost competitive solutions for automakers as they look to further lightweight their vehicles.

The Hydro Henderson plant’s current production capacity is 90,000 tonnes per year and the expansion will increase capacity by 28,000 tonnes. The use of a high percentage of end-of-life scrap material at Henderson will allow the production of HyForge stock to be delivered with a carbon footprint more than 30% lower than the existing products in the U.S. market.

The project is expected to become operational in 2026.

Share, , Google Plus, Pinterest,