Thomas Svendsen
European product development
Technology readiness (TRL)
Aluminium is an emerging material in offshore and marine construction. Hydro provides specialist design support and manufacture solutions using extrusion technology which is used mainly in structural applications, such as floors, framework, housing modules and helipads.
Aluminium is lighter than steel and can cope with the same heavy structural loads and hostile environment as other metals. Unlike most steel grades, aluminium does not become brittle at low temperatures. Instead, aluminium gets stronger and its ductility and toughness increases, making it suitable in the Arctic.
As weight saving is one of the levers for reducing cost in the offshore and marine industries, using aluminium has a direct impact on transportation cost, and cost and time for installation and decommissioning.