Novelis and Smart Press Shop Create Closed-Loop-Recycling System

Innovative manufacturing partnership will save up to 100,000 tons of carbon emissions per year

ZURICH, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novelis Inc., a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today announced it started operations of a closed- loop-recycling partnership with Smart Press Shop (SPS), a joint venture between Porsche AG and Schuler Group based in Halle (Saale), Germany.

Novelis supplies aluminium flat rolled products from its Nachterstedt, Germany, plant to the Smart Press Shop and brings production scrap generated during SPS' manufacturing process back to Nachterstedt. Novelis recycles the scrap and converts it into new, high-quality rolled sheet, which is then again returned to SPS and re-enters its production loop where it is made into sustainable lightweight automotive body parts. Recycling aluminum requires 95% less energy to produce than primary aluminium, with commensurate savings in CO2 emissions. As such, the Novelis-SPS partnership is projected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 100,000 tons per year.

SPS is focused on sustainably and efficiently producing the highest quality components for automotive exteriors, such as door panels and hood skins. SPS selected Novelis as a trusted partner due to its proven success in developing and implementing closed-loop-recycling systems around the globe for leading automakers, such as BMW, VOLVO, Nissan, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, among others. In the automotive industry, recycling programs are a major contributor to achieving carbon reduction goals and the use of infinitely recyclable aluminium has been central to those efforts.

"SPS and Novelis are ideal partners to advance the automotive industry closer to achieving the standards of a circular economy through sustainable material sourcing and production," said Michael Hahne, Vice President, Automotive, Novelis Europe. "At Novelis, we have a remarkable story to tell about our closed-loop-recycling innovations. From our objective of achieving zero waste-to-landfills to becoming carbon neutral, we take our responsibility as a global sustainability leader very seriously and look forward to all that we can achieve with SPS."

SPS optimizes material recovery rates by using innovative, digitized processes and state-of-the-art laser cutting technology in manufacturing exterior vehicle body parts. In addition, the proximity of the Halle plant to Novelis' Nachterstedt Recycling Center, the world's largest aluminum recycling facility, further enhances environmental sustainability due to reduced transport times.

"High-end car customers have a clear vision of what they expect manufacturers to provide, and in addition to premium quality, sustainability is playing an increasing role," said Hendrik Rothe, Managing Director of SPS. "With our partner Novelis, we are able to take intelligent automotive designs and manufacturing to new heights by making more efficient, sustainable automotive components and increasing the resiliency of our supply chain."

Novelis and SPS have already secured initial projects for premium car manufacturers focused on light-weighting and the two companies are working together to extend the supply of sustainable aluminium car body parts to additional automakers. The partners are constantly seeking new opportunities and working to scale the closed-loop-recycling program to achieve even greater CO2 savings.

Statements made in this news release that describe Novelis' intentions, expectations or predictions may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include projections to reduce carbon emissions by up to 100,000 tons per year during the contract term. Novelis cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty. We do not intend, and we disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Important risk factors which could impact outcomes are included under the caption "Risk Factors" in the company's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.

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 aluminium. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminium 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 $17.1 billion in fiscal year 2022. 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. 

Smart Press Shop, a joint venture of Porsche AG and Schuler Group, is focused on efficiently producing automotive outer skin panels in a sustainable manner. It operates a body parts plant in Halle (Saale), Germany, to assist automotive manufacturers in producing aluminium or steel blanks, parts and assemblies and providing small batch size materials particularly efficient. Located on a max. 50-hectare site, the SPS facility was built in Star Park, an industrial center that is home to many leading global brand innovators and manufacturers.

SOURCE Novelis Inc.