Novelis’ multi-million investment in US facility

USA – ‘Escalating demand’ in the USA has motivated the world’s largest aluminium sheet maker Novelis to invest US$ 200 million to upgrade and expand its rolling operations in Oswego, New York.

Ultimately, the expansion will result in a capacity increase of 200 000 tonnes – five times the company’s North American capacity for producing aluminium sheet for the automotive industry.
Owned by India’s Hindalco Industries, the company claims to cover 50% of the global market for sheet used for making structural components and exterior body panels. Philip Martens, President and CEO of Novelis, comments: ‘As the world’s number one supplier of auto sheet, we are in a unique position to support the growing demand from automakers for the use of lighter weight materials in new vehicle designs. This world-class expansion will provide these customers with highly-engineered aluminium sheet designed to significantly improve the fuel economy and reduce emissions of new vehicles currently in development, while also reducing the life-cycle carbon footprint of their overall operations.’
The Oswego facility is an integrated recycling, hot rolling and cold rolling complex producing aluminium sheet for the beverage can, automotive and building construction industries. This latest move reinforces Novelis’ sustainability commitment to reduce its carbon footprint as well as those of its customers. The company will also make a strong effort to incorporate recycling initiatives into all new sheet contracts.
Novelis expects to hire approximately 100 new employees at Oswego over the next two years, leading to start-up of the new equipment in the summer of 2013.