Benteler modernizes aluminium foundry in Norway
Benteler has extensively modernized its aluminium foundry in Raufoss Industrial Park, Norway. The conversion of the foundry improves infrastructure and storage capacity for more environmentally friendly production.
The foundry's expanded production facilities were officially put into operation at a ceremony attended by representatives of Benteler management, employees and partners from the industrial park and the supply chain. With this investment, the company is increasing the recycled content of its aluminum products at the Norwegian site from around 30 percent to around 40 percent - with the aim of achieving a share of 50 percent by 2030. At the same time, Benteler is reducing CO₂ emissions in the production process through modernization. This underlines the company's commitment to more sustainable automotive production and supports OEMs in achieving their climate targets. "The modernization of our foundry is a clear step towards sustainability and innovation. It enables us to meet the growing demands of our customers for higher recycling rates and lower CO₂ emissions - and at the same time strengthens our position as a leading provider of sustainable automotive solutions," says Per Dale, Plant Manager at Benteler Automotive Raufoss AS (BAR).
More circular economy at the Benteler Raufoss site
The modernization is part of the "BAR Green" project launched in 2023, which consistently aligns production at the Norwegian site with the principles of the circular economy. In addition to recycling its own production waste, for example from extrusion, Benteler is working to increase the proportion of external waste and post-consumer scrap - aluminum that has already been used in end products. This significantly increases the proportion of recycled materials, while reducing the carbon footprint of the products. To enable these sustainable production processes, the site infrastructure and energy efficiency have been comprehensively improved. These include the construction of a new warehouse for external scrap and finished products, modernized burner systems and the installation of a new filter system. In addition, Benteler uses residual process heat to heat the floor of the new warehouse and dry raw materials. Excess heat from the melting furnaces is also fed into the industrial park's district heating network. Benteler Automotive Raufoss AS is part of the Benteler Automotive Components division. The plant has its own foundry, three extrusion presses, forming lines and modern finishing facilities. From here, around 450 employees supply almost all major European car manufacturers with high-quality aluminum components such as bumper systems and chassis parts.