Wicona introduces Hydro Circal 100R to the market - the world's first aluminium alloy made from 100% recycled end-of-life aluminium. With its new 100% recycled aluminium profiles, Wicona is sending a strong signal for sustainable building and a true circular economy. Hydro, Wicona's parent company, is instrumental in helping the company produce Hydro Circal 100R, the world's first aluminium alloy made from 100% recycled end-of-life aluminium with a near-zero carbon footprint.
See also: Hydro completes acquisition of Hueck
The pioneering Hydro Circal 100R aluminium alloy has the lowest carbon footprint in the world, averaging 0.5 kg of CO2 per kg of aluminium. A decisive step towards a true circular economy.
This is how Wicona is supported by Hydro
With Hydro Circal 100R, Wicona once again underlines its innovative spirit and its efforts to offer partners in architecture and façade construction sustainable solutions for the planning and realisation of future-oriented building envelopes. The company is strongly supported by its parent company - the Norwegian Hydro Group. This is currently the only producer that can manufacture 100 % end-of-life aluminium - i.e. post-consumer scrap - with a CO2 footprint of almost zero. To this end, Hydro also operates its own recycling plant in Germany at the Dormagen site. Here, aluminium is collected from windows and facades of deconstructed buildings.
The material is then crushed and separated from foreign materials and non-metallic substances before being shredded into small "aluminium chips". These are in turn processed into CO2-reduced billets - Hydro Circal 100R - at Hydro's plant in Clervaux (Luxembourg). This makes it possible to produce a 100% recycled aluminium of first-class quality - without adding primary aluminium.
Augsburg innovation arch - first project worldwide with Hydro Circal 100R
The first construction projects with Hydro Circal 100R are already in the realisation phase. The sustainable aluminium alloy is celebrating its premiere at the Innovationsbogen Augsburg (IBA). The lighthouse project planned by Hadi Teherani Architects inspires with its arch-shaped architecture and holistic sustainability concept and is aiming for LEED Platinum certification.
Also interesting: How does Wicona actually earn its money?
A total of 130 t of Hydro Circal 100R aluminium profiles were manufactured for this and another pioneering project currently under construction in Paris. With a total CO2 footprint of 65 tonnes, this means a reduction of 800 tonnes compared to the CO2 footprint of standard aluminium produced in Europe.
Wicona
