Novelis today announced that it will invest a further US$11.3 million to help meet growing demand for the aluminum sheet produced at its Sierre, Switzerland, rolling operation.
The project, which will add ingot preparation capacity and thus improve the flow of material through the complex, is expected to come on stream in late 2011. It will include the installation of a "scalper," used to machine the ingot surfaces prior to hot-rolling, as well as ancillary handling equipment, environmental controls and a new building to house the process.
"We are seeing strong growth in demand from our customers, particularly in the automotive sector," said Tadeu Nardocci, president of Novelis Europe and senior vice-president of Novelis Inc. "The benefits of lightweight aluminum sheet are increasingly being recognized by car manufacturers, with significant new programs already in the pipeline and solid demand forecasts. The investment announced today will help ensure that Novelis remains the leading supplier to this sector."
The announcement follows the company's investment in a state-of-the-art casthouse at the Sierre rolling mill, which was commissioned in September 2008. In addition to conventional single-alloy material, the facility produces sheet ingot using Novelis Fusion(TM) technology. This patented process enables Novelis to offer its customers multi-alloy rolled aluminum with combinations of different core properties and surface characteristics that provide performance benefits not achievable with conventional aluminum. Customers in the automotive market have led the take-up of the new technology.
About Novelis in Sierre
At its Sierre plant in the Valais area in the Swiss Alps, Novelis rolls sheet for automotive, building, industrial and transport markets. The site has ingot casting, hot and cold rolling, heat treatment capability and modern laser blanking lines. Sierre is also home to the European Novelis Fusion(TM) casthouse.
About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and beverage can recycling. The company operates in 11 countries, has approximately 11,600 employees and reported revenue of US$8.7 billion in its 2010 fiscal year. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet and foil products to automotive, transportation, packaging, construction, industrial, electronics and printing markets throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited (BSE: HINDALCO), one of Asia's largest integrated producers of aluminum and a leading copper producer. Hindalco is a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. For more information, visit http://www.novelis.com.