Novelis to expand its Zhenjiang aluminium production and recycling facility by mid-2024

Novelis, the world's largest aluminium recycler, announced on Friday that it will spend $375 million in its Zhenjiang facility in China to enhance recycling and manufacture of aluminium products used in the car sector. Metal recycling will be critical in the energy transition, which will entail a shift from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The expansion project is expected to be completed by the middle of 2024, according to Novelis, a subsidiary of India's Hindalco.

"The investment will create a fully integrated supply chain for the automotive market in China between our Zhenjiang rolling and recycling facility and Changzhou automotive finishing plant," said Novelis

Novelis, the world's leading producer of automotive sheet, processes almost two million tonnes of aluminium waste each year, resulting in products with a recycled content of 61 percent on average. Recycling aluminium saves 95 percent of the energy used to make new metal.

"Recycling is a key component of our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner and we are committed to reducing our CO2 footprint by 30% by 2026," said Pierre Labat, the Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer to the Reuters.

According to Labat, Novelis' CO2 emissions are classified as Scope 1 and 2, with 85 percent falling into the Scope 3 category. Scope 1 emissions come from a company's direct activities, Scope 2 emissions come from the power it consumes to operate, and Scope 3 emissions come from the items it sells.

"For us, the main thing will be to expand our recycling facilities to reduce our Scope 3 emissions; to recycle as much as we can instead of buying primary aluminium," added Labat.