Novelis Invests $15.8 Million to Expand Aluminum Recycling in Italy

Novelis Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is investing $15.8 million to build a new continuous casting line at its production facility in Pieve Emanuele, Italy. The new line will recycle painted scrap aluminum into metal to be used to produce rolled aluminum sheet.

The investment follows Novelis’ commitment to increase the amount of recycled metal it uses in its rolling operations around the world from 34 percent today to 80 percent by 2020.

"This is one step towards Novelis reaching our ambitious global recycling target," says Tadeu Nardocci, president of Novelis Europe and senior vice president of Novelis Inc. in a press release. "It also makes sound business sense to install a fifth continuous caster at our Pieve plant so that we can better meet the demands for material across our European operations."

The Novelis plant at Pieve Emanuele is an integrated continuous casting, rolling and finishing operation. The aluminum sheet and coil produced at the facility is sold to distributors and end users in a number of industrial and construction markets. The Pieve plant is the supplier of aluminum coil to the nearby Novelis mill at Bresso, (Italy) where it is processed into pre-painted, textured and bright finish material for use in transport, construction and industrial applications. Applications include roofing, architectural cladding and domestic appliances.

The painted scrap generated during the production processes in Novelis' Italian operations, as well as other low-grade used aluminum from external sources, will be recycled into rolled aluminum on the new equipment.

Installation of the new line, which will include a double-chamber melting furnace, continuous casting line and ancillary equipment, will be completed by the end of 2012. The installation will be followed by a commissioning and ramp-up period.