Novelis has cut the carbon footprint of its aluminium melting operations in Germany by more than 40 per cent after completing a major furnace upgrade in partnership with industrial combustion specialist Fives. The project, finished in November 2025 at Novelis’ Voerde facility, is expected to deliver substantial reductions in natural gas consumption while improving thermal efficiency.
The revamp centred on installing Fives’ North American regenerative combustion technology, including the high-efficiency TwinBed II burner system, which recycles waste heat to lower emissions without compromising temperature performance.
The upgrade was engineered and commissioned by Fives’ North American Combustion team based in Bilbao, Spain. Novelis says the investment directly supports its “3×30” vision, which targets significant advances in circularity and decarbonisation by 2030.
“Sustainability is at the core of our business model,” said Emilio Braghi, Executive Vice President and President of Novelis Europe. “Modernising our three melting furnaces is a tangible step toward reducing our environmental footprint and improving operational efficiency.”
For Fives, a 200-year-old global provider of combustion and industrial process technologies, the Voerde project extends a collaboration with Novelis that dates back nearly two decades. Pablo Arribalzaga, Managing Director for Europe at Fives North American Combustion, said the upgrade highlights how advanced regenerative systems can accelerate industrial decarbonisation. He called the project “a new milestone” in demonstrating high-performance, low-emission furnace solutions in energy-intensive environments.
Novelis, a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries under the Aditya Birla Group, reported net sales of USD 17.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. The company believes upgrades like those at Voerde set an example for how established aluminium facilities can modernise to meet the industry’s decarbonised future.
Aluminium recycling remains one of the most energy-efficient levers in the global transition, requiring up to 95 per cent less energy than primary metal production. With demand rising across automotive, construction and packaging sectors, Novelis says retrofitting legacy assets with regenerative burners will play a key role in aligning operations with Europe’s net-zero ambitions.
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