Aluminium refinery, Norway

Story

Hydro is committed to reducing emissions in their own operations and helping customers and society to do the same. Since Hydro’s primary aluminium production capacity in Norway is already powered entirely by renewables, reaching net-zero also means driving energy usage down by striving for efficiencies, new technologies and solutions to help optimize industrial development.

Now, in close collaboration with Hydro Rein, Vigeland explored the various options to continue their journey and upgrade facilities to reduce energy consumption, increase health and safety for employees, and save money while making a number of key upgrades to existing equipment. The Vigeland Energy Partnership Project includes the installation of compressed air sensors to manage and improve energy efficiency and to avoid leaks, the installation of a smart LED lighting system, energy efficient pre-heating and real time on site energy management through Rein Hub. Not only will the new LED system reduce energy consumption, but it will offer superior lighting quality that benefits both the work environment and safety. This will effectively bring the lighting system in line with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and Eco design Directive.  

Did you know?

The aluminium refinery at Vigeland is a leading producer of highly refined aluminium with 99.999 percent purity, used in LCD monitors, computers, mobile phones and tablets.

 

Vigeland started production of aluminium as early as 1908, making it the oldest aluminium plant still in operation in Norway.

 

The site is located next door to the Vigelandsfoss power plant, producing about 186 GWh a year, giving the metal refinery steady access to renewable hydropower for its production needs. 

 

In 2023, the new smart lighting system was installed with compressed air management and real time energy management and monitoring software soon following. The complete installation of the infrastructure was orchestrated by Hydro Rein in close coordination with Vigeland to avoid disruption of operations. 

Benefits

As soon as the project went live, it started making a noticeable impact at the Vigeland production site. Energy use dropped by 90% for lighting and the installation starting saving money immediately. The aim? Achieve annual savings of 2 million NOK while cutting electricity consumption by 2 GWh per year.

To provide a sense of the scale of 2 GWh, consider this: it's approximately the amount of electricity generated by half a football field of solar panels in Norway annually. Another way to grasp it is by imagining the average yearly power consumption of 120 households! When it comes to electric vehicles, they usually consume about 0.2 to 0.3 kWh per kilometer. With 2 GWh of energy, you could fuel over 6.6 to 10 million kilometers of electric vehicle driving. Of course, the exact distance varies based on the efficiency and type of vehicle.

But it is not just about the numbers. The switch to LED lighting is not just about saving energy and money. It is also about creating a better, safer environment for Vigeland employees. Plus, with the Rein Hub dashboard, they can keep a close eye on energy use and efficiency in real-time. This helps them continually improve and optimize lighting conditions, meeting their obligations to energy management standards like ISO 50001 and staying compliant with regulations like the Energy Efficiency Directive and CO2 compensation arrangements.

Hydro Vigelands Brug is very excited to partner up with Hydro Rein for this energy efficiency partnership. Demand for our high purity aluminium products is increasing, and customers expect and demand to see concrete efforts on sustainability measures - Ole Harald Mykland, Plant Manager at Hydro Vigelands Brug. 

 

Services included in project scope

• Smart LED lighting system
• Compressed air management
• Energy efficient pre-heating
• On-site energy management through Rein Hub 
• Financed by Hydro Rein Energy Solutions, monetized through energy savings