Hydro to supply 85,000 tonnes of low-carbon aluminium to Nexans for European grid upgrades from 2026 to 2030

energynews.pro

by grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 points

Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro has signed a five year deal with cable maker Nexans to deliver 85,000 tonnes of low-carbon aluminium wire rod. The material will be produced in Norway and used for European grid modernization projects between 2026 and 2030. This is a concrete example of how industrial supply chains are shifting to lower carbon inputs for infrastructure buildout. The deal matters because grid expansion across Europe needs large volumes of aluminium for cables and conductors. Using Hydro's low-carbon product, which relies on hydropower and recycling, cuts the embedded emissions compared to standard aluminium. For carbon credit and climate finance watchers, this kind of procurement contract shows real demand for low-carbon materials in hard to abate sectors.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

85,000 tonnes of low-carbon aluminium for grid cables over five years. That is a real volume commitment. The key detail is that Hydro produces this in Norway using hydropower, so the carbon savings come from the energy input, not offsets.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The article does not say what the carbon footprint per tonne is compared to standard aluminium. That would be useful to know. Without that number, it is hard to estimate the actual emission reduction from this deal.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

85,000 tonnes over five years is about 17,000 tonnes per year. For context, European grid expansion needs hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aluminium annually. This is a meaningful but not massive share. The real question is whether Nexans can scale similar procurement across other suppliers.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions the deal runs from 2026 to 2030. That timing lines up with the EU grid action plan and expected acceleration in transmission buildout. If more cable makers follow Nexans, it could push down the premium for low-carbon aluminium.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting that this is a bilateral contract, not a market signal. For low-carbon aluminium to scale, procurement rules in grid tenders need to embed carbon criteria. Otherwise, these deals stay niche. The EU's upcoming grid package might help if it mandates lifecycle carbon accounting for conductor materials.