Novelis collaborates to develop carbon-neutral solutions for aluminum manufacturing

Aluminum rolling and recycling company Novelis Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, has signed a long-term collaboration agreement with HES-SO Valais-Wallis in collaboration with EPFL of Energypolis Campus, a Swiss innovation and research hub, and energy distributor Oiken to start a joint research and development (R&D) laboratory to advance carbon-neutral solutions for aluminum manufacturing.

Net Zero Lab Valais will be at Novelis' plant in Sierre, Switzerland. The company says the Sierre site, the broader Valais region and Switzerland itself are ideal for the planned initiatives because of the availability of renewable energy and strong research institutions, as well as a firm commitment to sustainability. The lab will focus on identifying and implementing solutions to neutralize the carbon footprint of Novelis' manufacturing operations and neighboring communities, with the goal of reaching carbon neutrality for scope 1 and 2 emissions at the plant by 2030.

"As the industry leader and the world's largest aluminum recycler, Novelis is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner," Pierre Labat, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer, Novelis, says. "This partnership underscores that commitment, and we expect the research to allow for greater innovation in advancing our efforts to create a sustainable world together."

Net Zero Lab Valais will work to identify decarbonization solutions and will launch an ecosystem in which Novelis, in collaboration with Oiken, will share the energy from its Sierre plant with the surrounding area. This will help lower the area's carbon footprint, as well as the carbon footprint of the manufacturing site, according to Novelis.

"We are working relentlessly on reducing all emissions at our sites, in our supply chain and in the energy we use," says Emilio Braghi, executive vice president, Novelis and president, Novelis Europe. "The Net Zero Lab Valais is another lever for increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste and supporting our communities. We will develop innovative solutions that we can later implement on a broader scale at our different production sites across the globe, while we simultaneously continue to work on increasing the recycled content in our products to deliver the lowest total carbon footprint for aluminum sheet. We are very proud to have such strong and experienced partners as HES-SO Valais-Wallis, EPFL and Oiken at our side to drive carbon-neutral production."

François Seppey, director of HES-SO Valais-Wallis, says, “This lab will be an ideal ecosystem to develop outstanding skills for early career engineers and enhance their contribution to the decarbonization of the whole industry in the near future."

"The Net Zero Lab Valais is a model for joining efforts between research and industry to decrease the carbon footprint of a region and understanding symbiosis between industrial activities and the energy system," says professor François Marechal, head of the Industrial Process and Energy Systems Engineering group in EPFL. "The same time, it will give early career talented engineers the chance to gain valuable insights and knowledge in applied and fundamental research."

"The Net Zero Lab Valais is an important initiative to help decarbonize the region," says François Fellay, CEO of Oiken. "In addition, by supplying waste heat into the future district heating system, Novelis' manufacturing site will also become a major contributor to our low carbon energy system."