Hydro has agreed to continue to purchase the complete production from Trimet's primary aluminium plant in Hamburg in 2008 and subsequent years, following an initial supply contract from the start-up time of the plant.
This means taking greater advantage of the mutual logistical benefits that can be gained for the smelter and Hydro's rolled products plant, even though both plants are seen as viable operations in their own right.
According to the new contract, Hydro will receive around 130,000 tonnes of primary aluminium per year. However, the Hydro casthouse will also cast sheet ingot for subsequent rolling, based on scrap and ingots.
The Hydro plant supplies customers in the automotive and consumer goods industries with more than 170,000 tonnes of aluminium strip and sheet annually.