Novelis to increase aluminum recycling uptime with ABB modernization  

Modernization by ABB will help Novelis, one of the top producers of aluminum, to enhance the speed of its aluminum recycling scheme 

Novelis is a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. A new announcement reveals it is working with ABB to upgrade its third-party drives and control systems. The partnership is part of a brownfield modernization project at Novelis’ hot rolling mill in Oswego, New York. 

Specifically, ABB is replacing obsolete and outdated equipment to futureproof the mill. The upgraded mill will feature new switchgears, transformers, medium voltage drives, medium voltage synchronous motors, and auxiliary controls.

The Oswego mill was the company’s first US operation and today remains its largest, wholly owned fabrication facility in North America. It produces high-quality aluminum sheet for the automotive, beverage can, and construction markets.  

Ganesh Panneer, Vice President of Operations for Novelis North America, commented: “ABB is helping to ensure that we continue to have the highest levels of availability in our processes. We’re focused on increasingly optimizing our production output to ensure we provide our customers with high quality, sustainable aluminum sheet. The ABB metals team are experts, committed to providing the latest, most energy efficient products. With their help, we will secure Oswego’s future as we maintain our leading position.”  

Additionally, the upgrade supports Novelis’ ambitions for increased power capacity and reliability. The upgrade will be commissioned before the end of 2023. As customers increasingly demand circular aluminum products, Novelis is ensuring sustainability commitments across its supply chain. 

Overall, the retrofit will improve availability, reliability, energy efficiency, and productivity, while cutting downtime and maintenance. “We’re proud to support Novelis in meeting their production targets, which promote efficiency,” said Siraj Boudighar, Sales Manager for Metals and Process Industries at ABB North America.