Improve Your Experience

We're sorry, but this browser is no longer able to provide an optimal user experience on this site. We recommend switching to one of the latest versions of Chrome, Edge or Firefox.

Novelis Continues to Advance Carbon-Neutral Aluminium Manufacturing at Net Zero Lab Valais through Extended Agreement

April 10, 2025

Novelis extends its partnership with HES-SO Valais-Wallis, EPFL, and local energy distributor OIKEN to continue the innovative work at the Net Zero Lab Valais. This two-years extension underscores Novelis’ commitment to carbon neutrality and the advancement of sustainable aluminium production.

Since its inception in 2022, the Net Zero Lab Valais, located at Novelis’ Sierre plant, has been focusing on identifying and implementing strategies to achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

At the end of 2025, an electric pusher furnace is expected to begin operations, replacing a gas furnace. The furnace will be fed by hydro power, thus saving approximately 4,500t CO2eq per year and potentially up to 180,000 CO2eq over the furnace’s lifetime.

Likewise, the initiative to use waste heat from the casting process is progressing and already provides heating for nearby buildings. For the first time last winter (2023/2024), the plant recovered more heat than it consumed for building heating.

Looking ahead, the Net Zero Lab Valais is exploring additional opportunities for decarbonizing high temperature melting processes, like oxyfuel, hydrogen, plasma and biomass.

"Extending our partnership with HES-SO, EPFL, and OIKEN is a testament to our shared vision of a more sustainable future. Collectively, we are driving innovation, reducing Novelis’ carbon footprint, and making meaningful progress toward carbon neutrality while also supporting our communities".

Serge Gaudin, Director Automotive Operations Novelis Europe and Plant Manager Sierre

With the extension of the agreement, Novelis aims to continue its holistic approach to decarbonization, exemplified by its Vision 3x30, a transformative strategy aimed at achieving 75% recycled content across the company’s product range, less than 3 tons of CO2 emissions per ton of flat-rolled aluminium shipped, and advancing circularity through first-mover investments by the end of 2030.

Graphic visualization of Net Zero Lab Valais projects

About HES-SO

With over 21,000 students, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland is Switzerland’s largest university of applied sciences. Like the eight other public universities of applied sciences, the HES-SO has become a key partner in Swiss education and research over the past 20 years.

About EPFL

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne is one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan science and technology institutions.

About OIKEN

With more than 790 million kWh of electricity distributed annually, OIKEN is the largest electricity distributor in the Valais region.