Hydro Cassopolis names new aluminum plant manager

Published 2:00 pm Friday, July 15, 2022

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CASSOPOLIS — Ingrid Guddal, plant manager at Hydro Karmøy, Norway, has been appointed Operational Director for Hydro’s new aluminum recycling plant in Cassopolis, Michigan.

Guddal has been at the Karmøy primary aluminum plant for four years, which has included the successful verification of Hydro Karmøy Technology Pilot (link). The industrial-scale pilot plant is operating with around 15 percent lower energy consumption than the world average, and has the most climate and energy-efficient aluminum production technology in the world.

Guddal started her career in Hydro in 1993 as a trainee and has extensive experience from several different management roles. She headed the local start-up team in Azuqueca, Spain, where she was later appointed Plant Manager. Other previous leadership experience in Hydro includes Casthouse Manager at Søral (today Hydro Husnes),HR Business Partner and other management positions at Hydro Husnes. Since 2018, she has been Plant Manager at Hydro Karmøy.

Her experience outside of Hydro include Chief Municipal Executive in Odda Municipality and Advisor for business clusters in Innovation Norway. Ingrid also has experience as a board member for several industrial companies.

She has a master’s degree in Process Engineering from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany and an Executive MBA in Strategic Management from the Norwegian School of Management.

Ingrid will relocate to Cassopolis spring 2023 and commencement date will be announced later. In her new role, she will report to Head of Recycling Operations, Hans Bjerkaas. The process to find Ingrid’s successor as Plant Manager for Karmøy has started.

Production at Cassopolis will commence in 2023 with approximately 70 employees. When ramped up to full production, the plant will produce 120,000 metric tons of low-carbon aluminum extrusion ingot per year. The expected investment is USD 150 million (link).