Automotive growth helps drive Novelis to record results

US-based Novelis Inc., the world’s largest recycler of aluminium and global leader in aluminium rolled products, upped the recycled content of its products from 55% to 57% during a record-breaking 2018 fiscal year.

The company’s net sales surged 20% to US$ 11.5 billion on the back of higher average aluminium prices and record shipments, including increased shipments of higher conversion premium products. Also, the company states it is recycling upwards of 65 billion aluminium beverage cans a year at the moment. Better yet; it takes about 60 days to turn all of these back into brand-new cans.

Total shipments of flat rolled products grew 4% to 3.188 million tonnes while deliveries into the automotive sector climbed 11% year on year. When excluding tax-effected special items, full-year net income sky-rocketed 80% to US$ 420 million.

‘We’ve increased our leadership position in the key growth category of automotive aluminium sheet by making the right strategic investments in capacity globally to be the clear partner-of-choice for innovative solutions,’ comments president and ceo Steve Fisher. ‘In addition, we will continue to evaluate opportunities in the market that further maximise our capabilities that deliver value to our customers and stakeholders.’

He points out that 57% of input handled by Novelis came from recycled materials. In fact, its newest facility in the German city of Nachterstedt alone is capable of processsing 400 000 tonnes of aluminium scrap every year.

Novelis operates 24 facilities in 10 countries and employs approximately 11 000 people, supplying aluminium sheet and foil products to transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and consumer electronics markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America.