Novelis Nachterstedt Recycling Center is the world's largest aluminium recycling facility.
Novelis has officially opened the world’s largest aluminium recycling centre. Located adjacent to the company’s rolling mill in Nachterstedt, Germany, the $258m recycling centre will process up to 400,000 metric tonnes of aluminium scrap annually, turning it back into high-value aluminium ingots to feed the company’s European manufacturing network.
“The Nachterstedt Recycling Center is a significant step toward our goal to be the world’s low-carbon aluminium sheet producer, shifting our business model from a traditional linear approach to an increasingly closed-loop model,” said Phil Martens, president and CEO of Novelis. “This new facility further strengthens Novelis’ leadership in Europe, and together with our major recycling operations in Asia, North America and South America, solidifies Novelis’ position as the global aluminium recycling leader.”
Since 2011, Novelis has invested approximately $500m to expand its recycling network, doubling its recycling capacity to 2.1 million metric tonnes per year and raising its recycled content from 30% to 46%.
The company’s goal is to achieve 80% recycled content by 2020. Recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy and emissions associated with the production of primary metal.
“This strategy will enable us to accelerate and capitalise on the sustainability potential of aluminium as a lightweight, infinitely recyclable metal and to dramatically reduce the embedded carbon in our products,” said Martens. “In an increasingly energy- and carbon-constrained environment, we are convinced it will be a key source of competitive advantage for our company, and for our customers.”
The Nachterstedt Recycling Center features state-of-the-art technology for aluminium scrap sorting, de-coating, melting and casting. The facility gives Novelis the flexibility to process a wide range of scrap types, creating a more efficient closed-loop recycling system and increasing Europe’s domestic scrap consumption. Approximately 200 employees will work at the new facility.
“In developing the recycling and casting facility, we implemented best-in-class technologies to ensure that it meets the highest standards of operational efficiency and environmental excellence,” said Erwin Mayr, senior vice president, Novelis, and president, Novelis Europe. “To feed the facility, we are expanding and diversifying our scrap purchasing network to ensure the highest quality scrap is recycled back into the same product whenever possible, conserving more metal, reducing waste and using less energy than ever before.”
Nachterstedt’s central location within Europe provides the plant with access to efficient transportation networks. Aluminium ingots produced at Nachterstedt will be hot-rolled at Novelis’ facilities in Norf, Germany, and Sierre, Switzerland, and then supplied to company operations across Europe for further processing. Finished coils of aluminium sheet will be delivered to customers primarily in the automotive and beverage can markets.
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