The world’s largest aluminium recycling centre has been officially opened by Novelis at Nachterstedt, Germany.
At a cost of €200 million (£155 million), the facility will process up to 400,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap annually, turning it back into high value aluminium ingots to feed the company’s European manufacturing network.
Novelis president and chief executive Phil Martens said: “The Nachterstedt Recycling Centre is a signficant step towards our goal to be the world’s low-carbon aluminium sheet producer, shifting our business model from a traditional linear approach to an increasingly closed-loop model.
“This new facility further strengthens Novelis’ leadership in Europe, and together with our major recycling operations in Asia, North America and South America, solidifies Novelis’ position as the global aluminium recycling leader.”
Since 2011, Novelis has invested $500 milion (£308 million) to expand its recycling network, doubling its recycling capacity to 2.1 million tonnes per year and raising its recycled content from 30 per cent to 46 per cent with the aim of achieving 80 per cent recycled content by 2020.
Phil Martens added: “This strategy will enable us to accelerate and capitalise on the sustainability potential of aluminium as a lightweight, infinitely recyclable metal and to dramatically reduce the embedded carbon in our products.
“In an increasingly carbon-constrained environment, we are convinced it will be a key source of competitive advantage for our company – and for our customers.”
The Nachterstedt Recycling Centre features state-of-the-art technology for aluminium scrap sorting, de-coating, melting and casting. The facility gives Novelis the flexibility to process a wide range of scrap types, creating a more efficient closed-loop recycling system and increasing Europe’s domestic scrap consumption. Approximately 200 employees will work at the facility.
Novelis senior vice president and Novelis Europe president Erwin Mayr said: “In developing the recycling and casting facility, we implemented best-in-class technologies to ensure that it meets the highest standards of operations efficiency and environmental excellence.
“To feed the facility, we are expanding and diversifying our scrap purchasing network to ensure the highest quality scrap is recycled back into the same product whenever possible, converting more metal, reducing waste and using less energy than ever before.”
