Norwegian aluminium producer Norsk Hydro ASA subsidiary Hydro Building Systems and Saint-Gobain Glass have come to an agreement on collaborating to reduce the carbon footprint of building façades by half.
The agreement will have the firms utilizing their respective low-carbon solutions to craft low embodied carbon products. Hydro Building Systems’ premier low carbon aluminium offerings are made from Hydro CIRCAL, which features a high content of recycled post-consumer aluminium. Saint-Gobain Glass will contribute its low carbon glass products, which uses renewable power and post-consumer recycled glass.
Marion Portenseigne, BU Glass Façade Specification Director at Saint-Gobain Glass, said in a press release that his company shares the same sustainability aims as Norsk Hydro.
“We share with Hydro the same ambition to be leaders in light and sustainable construction. This partnership will enable us to increase the awareness of low-carbon solutions for façades. This means common specification training for our specifiers to get to know the counterpart offer and joint communication actions.”
The two firms are also developing urban mining in Europe, which is a means for finding and recycling aluminium and glass. Specifically, the two companies have pledged to work together to ensure that end-of-life façades are recycled.
Lucile Souyri, Sustainability Manager at Hydro Building Systems, said that both companies’ aims can be met more easily with collaboration.
“This can only be achieved through closer collaboration with teams of both companies involved, from the initial design stages to the completion of the building.”
Norsk Hydro, which was founded in 1905, financed by the Swedish Wallenberg family and French banks, began its life named Norsk hydro-elektrisk Kvælstofaktieselskab (literally, “Norwegian hydro-electric nitrogen limited”) by Sam Eyde. The Norwegian government owns approximately 40% of the company at the present time. Norsk Hydro is one of the largest aluminium companies in the world, with plants in Rjukan, Raufoss, Vennesla, Karmøy, Høyanger, Årdal, Sunndalsøra, and Holmestrand. Norsk also has several plants abroad.
