The company aims to meet the growing demand in the world market for recycled aluminium, especially for applications in the packaging sector, and expand its international competitive position in the can product segment considerably.
The planned recycling line, covering an area of 20,000 square metres, will increase existing annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes to more than 100,000 tonnes and be able to process a wide range of can scrap. The liquid metal produced at the future plant in Rheinwerk, Neuss, will serve as the input material for making new beverage cans.
"With this investment, we are clearly pursuing our growth strategy in the market for beverage cans, which forms an integral part of our product strategy, and at the same time meeting the demands of our international customers for a closed recycling loop," says executive vice president Oliver Bell, Member of the Hydro Board. "We are also further strengthening our Grevenbroich-Rheinwerk-Alunorf production triangle and, following our recent €130 million investment in a new automotive strip line in Grevenbroich, firmly committing ourselves to Germany as an industrial location. In doing so, we trust in the commitment from German politics to continue easing the cost burden for energy-intensive companies within the renewable energies law."
Completion of the recycling line is earmarked for the end of 2015 and will see the creation of around 40 new jobs.