Irizar e-mobility embraces recycled aluminium in buses

Irizar e-mobility, a Spanish customer of Hydro Extrusions – a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy producer, is the first company to use Hydro’s recycled aluminium, produced with green hydrogen, in its products. The aluminium profiles will be used for bodywork in Irizar’s electric vehicles – one such being its “ie tram”, an electric zero-emission bus with the appearance of a tram.

The recycled aluminium was produced at Hydro’s recycling operation in Navarra, Spain, in June last year. Since then, the material has undergone extensive testing to confirm if it lives up to the requirements for extrusion, fabrication and eventually use in Irizar e-mobility’s electric vehicles. The tests were successful and, in early November, Irizar e-mobility placed the first order for aluminium profiles made with the special material. 

“We reached an important milestone with the successful use of green hydrogen to produce recycled aluminium in Navarra. E-mobility is one of our key markets where aluminium profiles contribute with lighter weight and improved safety. Irizar e-mobility is, like Hydro, working towards more sustainable products. They are a perfect partner for us,” says Bruno D’hondt, senior vice president of Extrusions Europe.

Recycling of aluminium requires only 5% of the energy used in primary aluminium production. By replacing natural gas with carbon-free green hydrogen, made from renewable energy, the emissions from the production phase can be removed entirely.

If the input scrap is 100% post-consumer aluminium scrap, the result would be zero-carbon aluminium. This is part of Hydro’s roadmap to zero, which consists of three main paths: Recycling, carbon capture and storage, and zero-emission electrolysis.