Holmestrand opens new rolling system

Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian oil and energy, light metals and plant nutrition group, today announced that Holmestrand Rolling Mill now is operating its new, cold rolling and slitting system for thinner materials. This means that the company can now approach new customer groups, primarily within the automotive heat transfer area. This investment of NOK 260 million, approximately Euro 32 million, also means an increase in production capacity, from about 70,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes, which in turn strengthens Holmestrand Rolling Mill’s position as a leading European rolling mill utilizing used aluminium.

The Norwegian Minister of Industry, Grete Knutsen, undertook the official opening of the new system at Holmestrand on Wednesday.

This investment means that the rolling mill can now supply thinner qualities to markets with stringent quality requirements. Hydro is already a significant supplier of drawn aluminium tubes for heat transfer systems. With this new production equipment now in operation at Holmestrand, Hydro will be the first total aluminium supplier to heat transfer systems in Europe.

Rolling mill operations at Holmestrand are based on recycled aluminium products. The company is leading in Europe with regard to utilizing recycled metal in top quality products that the market demands, thereby contributing to sustainable development. Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products uses about 127,000 tonnes of used aluminium per year, which means that Hydro is one of the leading aluminium recycling companies in Europe.

Hydro also remelts process aluminium scrap in Europe and the USA, and the company’s total capacity within recycling and remelting at the turn of the year was about 550,000 tonnes.

Holmestrand Rolling Mill is part of Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products, one of the five divisions within Hydro’s Light Metals business area. Operating revenues for the division totalled about NOK 2.4 billion in 1999 and employees 750. Holmestrand Rolling Mill was established in 1917 and became part of Hydro in 1986. The company has experienced significant changes and modernizations since its establishment. Today, the rolling mill has about 290 employees, the number of employees at the Hydro units in Holmestrand totalling about 650.