Novelis Expanding Aluminum Recycling Operations at Rolling Mill in Germany

Novelis Inc. has announced plans to invest $18 million to build a new recycling facility at its Aluminium Norf GmbH (Alunorf) facility in Germany.

Construction has started on a multi-chamber melting furnace and ancillary equipment that will recycle 50,000 metric tons of aluminum scrap per year to feed Alunorf’s rolling mills.

Novelis says that the Alunorf facility, a joint venture between Novelis and Norsk Hydro, is the largest aluminum rolling complex in the world.

The new recycling center will process aluminum scrap both from Novelis plants and other manufacturing facilities throughout Europe.

Novelis notes that the recycling project is the second phase of a recycling expansion project at the Alunorf facility that began in 2009 with the construction of a similar recycling facility that was funded by Norsk Hydro. When Novelis’ recycling facility comes on line at the end of 2011, the combined capacity of the integrated recycling operations at the Alunorf facility will be 100,000 metric tons per year.

"Recycling is a key component of the Novelis sustainability strategy," says Tadeu Nardocci, president of Novelis Europe and senior vice president of Novelis Inc. "Such investments deliver environmental benefits, while providing an important source of metal for Novelis. The investment at Alunorf will complement our dedicated aluminum can recycling operation in Warrington, U.K., which continues to be instrumental in increasing the recycling rate for used aluminum beverage cans in Europe."