Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro announced that it is planning to close the aluminium fabrication unit in Bromyard and moving business activities to Bedwas, located in South Wales, UK.
Hydro plans to restructure its businesses in the UK amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is expected to complete the restructuring of Bromyard operations by the end of 2020. In 2014 Sapa, fully-owned by Norsk Hydro, acquired Holden Aluminium Technologies located at Bromyard and this plant came under the folds of Sapa’s extrusion business. The company has extrusion plants in Britley, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Redditch, and Tibshelf.
Earlier Hydro announced relocating its aluminium car components and fabrication operations in Rotherham to Gloucester in March.
Hydro cut production at European extrusion sites amid the pandemic with 45pc of its extrusions sites operated at a normal level, 35pc at a reduced level, and 20pc closed or operated at very low levels.
In Q4, the company’s extrusion production dropped by 46,000mt to 272,000mt as compared to Q4 2019. The company has forecast a decline in demand for extrusion products in Europe and America.