Novelis to boost rail capacity at New York plant

Recycled-content aluminum producer Novelis Inc. will be the beneficiary of a $2.8 million grant from a New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT) funding program.

A list of 2024 grants released in March by NYDOT includes the nearly $2.8 million grant, which has been issued to the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

The grant will go toward funding a project at the Novelis plant in Oswego County that will "realign and reactivate access," including the purchase of two new railcar movers, to reduce truck traffic, potential crashes and reduce emissions.

The full list of grants, which are part of NYDOT’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program (PFRAP), includes more than three dozen funded projects, ranging in value from about $280,000 to more than $5.5 million.

An report from Oswego County News Now indicates spending by Novelis brings the total project cost to $3.5 million.

Track improvements adjacent to the aluminum production facility include realigning the curvature of the existing track and turnouts onsite to accommodate longer railcars and reactivating a section of dormant track so workers can move railcars more efficiently, according to the report.

It also indicates the two new railcar movers will be lower-emissions models. More rail access for inbound melt shop inputs, including aluminum scrap, means fewer inbound truck trips, according to the report.

A 2021 Recycling Today report on Novelis’ plans to expand its Oswego, New York, melt shop said the plant’s adjacent recycling center as processes some 12,500 tons of automotive aluminum scrap per month alone.

A 16-page 2019 scrap quality specifications document from Novelis includes some instructions specific to the Oswego mill, including for coils scrap and baled and boxed scrap grades.

The news report indicates the plant receives much of its inbound material from Canada. Oswego has a port facility on Lake Ontario, across that body of water from Toronto, Oshawa and Kingston, Ontario.

“This project will provide Novelis the funding to invest in critical on-site infrastructure to keep more aluminum production domestic and ultimately help their sustainability and economic competitiveness here in Oswego County and as a company,” says Austin Wheelock, CEO of the Oswego County IDA.

“Securing nearly $2.8 million in state funding for the Novelis rail enhancement project provides a tremendous boost for the region’s infrastructure and economy. With roughly 1,200 employees at its Oswego facility, Novelis has been a great partner in our local community," New York Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay adds.

“This major investment will help expand production to keep highly skilled, high-paying jobs here at home. I was proud to lend my support in the effort to obtain state funding, and I want to congratulate all those involved in this important project.”