Global aluminum company Hydro broke ground on its aluminum recycling plant in Cassopolis, Mich. Hydro will invest approximately $150 million in the facility, which will produce 265 million pounds of aluminum extrusion ingot per year and create approximately 70 new jobs. When completed, the plant will help Hydro reach its goal of doubling recycling of post-consumer aluminum by 2025. Applications for the aluminum produced in Cassopolis will be used for critical automotive applications and building system applications.

Norway-based Hydro is positioning itself to become the leading producer of low-carbon, recycled aluminum in North America. Recycling scrap aluminum requires only 5% of the energy used to produce primary aluminum, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Following completion of the Cassopolis plant, Hydro will have the ability to produce over 1 million metric tons of recycling-based aluminum billet each year in the United States.

The Cassopolis plant will be the first large-scale producer of Hydro CIRCAL in North America. Hydro CIRCAL aluminum extrusion ingot contains at least 75% post-consumer scrap, according to Hydro.