With a final decision now made, Hydro will invest NOK 150 million with the aim of starting operations in 2020.

The newly developed in-house casting technology, ‘Low Pressure Casting’ (LPC) enables Hydro to provide materials with enhanced properties for various extrusion segments, where Hydro is already a major material supplier. After the upgrade, Hydro Husnes will also be able to offer materials for forging.

"Forge stock for products like suspension arms and knuckles is an attractive market for aluminium within the automotive industry, which needs ever more aluminium to fill its need to lightweight cars and reduce emissions,” says Ola Sæter, Head of Hydro’s fully owned primary aluminium plants.

Sæter says the demand growth for forge stock is high, and that Hydro is ready to take its share of this growth.