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Engineering plays a vital role in driving innovation at Novelis and across the aluminum industry. On World Engineering Day, we celebrate both current and future engineers and their work to create a sustainable future. Novelis is proud of its work to help encourage the next generation of engineers to learn the skills needed for their future careers.  

As industries push for lower-carbon solutions, new alloys, process optimizations, and recycling, innovations are essential to meeting sustainability and technological advancement goals. These breakthroughs require a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). That’s why Novelis invests in STEM education across the globe—to provide young talent with the tools, mentorship and resources to develop their skills and make a lasting, sustainable impact on our world.

Global STEM initiatives at Novelis:

Globally: Novelis has partnered with FIRST Robotics, an organization that has positively impacted 850,000 youth worldwide. The partnership helps provide hands-on STEM learning, mentorship from Novelis engineers and even incorporated donated aluminum into 28,000+ robot drive bases for the FIRST Robotics Kit of Parts.

Our Impact

By engaging students early on in their STEM education journey, Novelis fosters technical skills, problem solving, creativity and leadership—important traits for the engineers of tomorrow. This World Engineering Day, Novelis celebrates the bright minds impacting the future of technology and innovation.

Water used during the casting process at the Novelis Sierre plant is deployed to heat up a neighbouring building.

The Net Zero Lab Valais is modelling energy systems to evaluate the replacement of natural gas with renewable energy sources to increase energy efficiency and to decrease waste. With this goal, one of the first completed projects is a transfer of waste heat from the casting process at the Novelis Sierre plant to the Technopôle – a nearby building complex. The energy supply corresponding to a power of around 200 kilowatt-hours covers about one third of the energy demand of the Technopôle, which hosts research-based companies and consulting firms as well as university offices.

Creating synergies by capturing energy in use

Casting aluminium ingots requires cooling water during the process. As the liquid aluminium origins at the melting oven with around 750 degrees Celsius, water is used to cool down the liquid aluminium to its required shape. During this process, the water heats up. The energy of this heated water is then exchanged and sent into warm water pipes to the Technopôle.

“This project demonstrates the powerful synergies we are able to generate with the Net Zero Lab Valais right next to our plant”, says Réginald Germanier, Energy Leader at Novelis Sierre, and Net Zero Lab Valais leader at Novelis. “Within the framework of the lab, we aim to further identify projects where we can save waste energy and increase energy efficiency.”

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Longstanding collaboration helps to further decarbonize the region.

Novelis is constantly seeking opportunities to decarbonize its own operations by switching to renewable energy sources but also to support the decarbonization of the surrounding communities and partners. In Sierre, the sun shines for roughly 1,990 hours a year, offering a great opportunity for solar power. This translates into a photovoltaic power output of 3,940 kilowatt-hours per day*. Together with Net Zero Lab Valais’ partner OIKEN, Novelis contributes to making this precious energy available for the surrounding communities.

Sustainability frontrunners join forces for regional energy supply

The longstanding partnership of Novelis and OIKEN has its foundation long before the launch of the Net Zero Lab in 2022 and demonstrates the potential to foster a carbon neutral future within the region. Currently, around 5,000 square meters of installed solar panels, with a capacity of 1 gigawatt-hour per year, cover the main building roof at the Novelis plant in Sierre, rented by local energy distributer OIKEN. This fruitful collaboration supports the supply of green electricity to Sierre. By joining forces in the Net Zero Lab Valais, both parties intend to further expand their efforts to increase the usage of solar power – for the plant as well as for the entire region.

* according to the Global Solar Atlas by World Bank Group

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Novelis will be replacing a gas pusher furnace with an electrical one, saving around 4,500t CO2eq per year.

Novelis Sierre aims to reach carbon neutrality for scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. To achieve this ambitious goal, Novelis is increasing decarbonization investments and its efforts in joint initiatives such as the Net Zero Lab Valais. Driving carbon neutral production, the Net Zero Lab team is testing alternative energy sources to replace gas, such as plasma or hydrogen. For decarbonizing energy consumption, the lab´s aim is to replace fossil-based energy sources with carbon-neutral ones rather than offsetting carbon emissions through credits.

Streamlined processes for more productivity and fewer emissions

In the first year of Novelis Sierre’s decarbonization journey with the Net Zero Lab Valais, Novelis has approved an investment in a new electrical pusher furnace which will allow the plant to pre-heat sheet ingots with renewable electricity instead of natural gas, saving around 4,500t CO2eq per year and up to 180,000t CO2eq over the furnace’s lifetime. Moreover, the new furnace will offer an optimization of workflows.

“Electrifying one of our pusher furnaces is a crucial step to decarbonize our Novelis Sierre production”, states Serge Gaudin, Plant Manager, Novelis Sierre, and Director Automotive Operations, Novelis Europe. “The new electric pusher furnace brings flexibility with regard to renewable energy sources and will initially be fed by hydro power. This is crucial in today’s energy management and also contributes to our aim of generating a future-proof energy portfolio for our company.”

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Dev Ahuja, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been named to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) board of directors. Dev will join the NAM board to advance a manufacturing policy agenda that promotes growth and prosperity for all Americans. (more…)