Novelis Commissions First Electric Pusher Furnace at Sierre Plant

Milestone reached on the company's journey toward lower-carbon aluminium production: New electric pusher furnace expected to save around 25% energy consumption compared to gas furnace.

ZURICH, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Novelis Inc., a leading sustainable aluminium solutions provider and the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, has officially started operating its first electric pusher furnace at its Sierre plant in Switzerland.

"With the commissioning of the electric pusher furnace, Novelis continues to lead the way in sustainable aluminium manufacturing," said Serge Gaudin, Plant Manager of Sierre & Director of Recycling Plants for Novelis in Europe. "This development moves the plant closer to achieving its goal of carbon-neutral operations; a core component of our long-term 3x30 decarbonization strategy."

The pusher furnace is used to heat aluminum ingots prior to rolling. By transitioning from natural gas to electricity based on the local Swiss power mix, Novelis expects to cut emissions by approximately 4,500 tonnes CO2eq per year and reduce overall energy consumption by around 25% compared to the former gas-fired system. While this shift changes the allocation of emissions between Scope 1 and Scope 2, the substantially lower carbon intensity of the electricity used results in net reduction of total Scope 1 and 2 emissions. This milestone demonstrates how technology upgrades can deliver measurable emissions and energy reductions at the operational level.

The concept for an electric pusher furnace originated from the Net Zero Lab Valais initiative, which Novelis launched in February 2022 in collaboration with energy distributor OIKEN and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, along with EPFL, to develop carbon-neutral solutions for aluminium manufacturing.

In addition to implementing the electric pusher furnace, Novelis has initiated joint studies with Oiken to extend the city's district heating system, aiming to supply roughly 20%-30% of the total energy needed by the city of Sierre. This broader integration follows the lighthouse project of providing waste heat from Novelis' aluminum casting process to a nearby building complex.

As part of the Net Zero Lab Valais roadmap, Novelis plans to continue to scale electrification and low-carbon energy integration at its Sierre plant, while also exploring broader application of decarbonization solutions across the company's global production network.

About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is driven by its purpose of shaping a sustainable world together. We are a global leader in the production of innovative aluminum products and solutions and the world's largest recycler of aluminum. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions and to achieve a fully circular economy by partnering with our suppliers, as well as our customers in the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties industries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis had net sales of $18.4 billion in fiscal year 2026. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai. For more information, visit novelis.com.