Norway’s Norsk Hydro has entered into a strategic partnership with Shell Energy to steer its UK operations toward decarbonization. The collaboration will be a three-year contract that entails an annual allocation of 56 GWh of electricity and 144 GWh of gas to Hydro’s UK facilities. This is expected to cut Hydro’s Scope 2 emissions by up to 11 thousand tons of CO2 each year.
A significant facet of this accord is Hydro’s inclusion of renewable electricity from the Rhyl Flats windfarm in Wales. This windfarm, situated 8 kilometers off the coast of Llandudno, boasts an assembly of 25 turbines and stands as Wales’ second-largest of its kind, boasting a robust installed capacity of 90 MWh. The electricity garnered from this source carries the endorsement of a Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin, signifying its environmentally sustainable origin.
Hydro’s commitment to sustainability is not confined to energy sourcing alone. The company has already introduced environmentally-conscious aluminium products under the Hydro Recycled Aluminium and Hydro Low-Carbon Aluminium banners. By ingeniously recycling aluminium components from discarded windows, automobile parts, and other post-consumer materials, Hydro has managed to keep the carbon footprint of Hydro Recycled Aluminium at 2.3 kilos of CO2 per kilo of aluminium, a mere fraction of the average carbon footprint for aluminium consumption in Europe.
Lars Lysbakken, Energy Portfolio Manager at Hydro, outlined the importance of the collaboration in a press release.
“We are always looking for new and innovative solutions to decarbonize our own operations. This is considered a board level priority, so when it came to finding the perfect energy partner for our UK operations, we were looking for a long-term partner that could support our transition to net-zero. Shell Energy demonstrated extensive understanding of our business, our sector and our ambitious decarbonization roadmap.”
Hydro says that the Operational Sustainability Roadmap charts a rigorous course for the reduction of carbon emissions, energy utilization, waste generation, and water consumption, all culminating in zero waste to landfill. The adoption of technologies such as electric forklifts, automated cooling towers, energy harnessing, and an innovative air leak program is projected for full implementation by 2025.
The incorporation of the Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin from the Rhyl Flats Offshore Wind Farm stands as a testament to Hydro’s unyielding commitment to diminished energy utilization. This transition to exclusively renewable electricity resonates harmoniously with the overarching vision of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Rather than a transactional agreement, we see our contracts as long-term strategic partnerships, an opportunity to accelerate our customers’ journeys to net-zero. In the case of Hydro, we were able to offer a solution that is perfectly aligned to its Operational Sustainability Roadmap. We are looking forward to working in close partnership with the team in the long-term to offer our knowledge, guidance and support,” noted Greg Kavanagh, Head of Industrial & Commercial Sales at Shell Energy.
