Hydro Rein Energy Solutions is a proud partner for Hydro Extrusion Sweden on their journey towards net zero and 100 percent locally produced renewable energy. In each of their three locations in southern Sweden we identified strategic investments in solar energy, battery storage, wind power, and energy efficiency measures. In the first phase, the focus has been on solar and battery storage systems to complement the already existing local hydropower system. 

Hydro aims to move to 100 percent locally produced renewable energy for the operation of its three aluminium manufacturing plants in Sweden. As the company transitions to reducing its carbon footprint toward a zero level, it will require new investments. We are their partner to design, build and operate industrial scale solar PV and battery storage to support achieving their  goals.

The demand for greener, more reliable, and competitively priced energy is growing in Swedish industry, particularly in southern Sweden, where Hydro Extrusions operates. Hydro aims to take the lead in the aluminium industry by contributing to a more sustainable future and creating more viable local communities at their three aluminium extrusion plants located in Finspång, Sjunnen and Vetlanda.

Low carbon aluminium products are already an area of expertise in Hydro Extrusions. They offer aluminium profiles made with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. This is due to significant investments in scrap recycling as well as the large share of renewable energy sources fueling the production process.  

Construction started in Q2 of 2023, and by Q1 of 2024 everything was up and running. Hydro Rein led the first phase, adding solar panels on roofs and on the ground, along with battery storage systems. This supplements Hydro’s existing hydropower plant in Sjunnen. The setup includes 2.1 MWp of roof-mounted solar cells, about 2.0 MWp of ground-mounted solar cells, and two battery storage solutions with a total capacity of 4.5 MW. 

Now, let's talk about what this 4.1 MWp really means. Imagine a typical residential solar system, which is usually about 5 kW. Picture spreading that across seven rooftops and one ground plot. It's like having the power of over 840 residential systems combined. Another way to picture what this means is by using charging electric cars. With a 4.1 MWp solar power system, you could charge about 600 electric cars all at once. That's like plugging in a whole fleet, with each car using about 7 kW of power. The sun sure can do some amazing things, can't it?