Novelis Inc. has 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 aluminum 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 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 percent less energy to produce than primary aluminum, 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 components for automotive exteriors, such as door panels and hood skins. SPS selected Novelis as a partner due to its success in developing and implementing closed-loop recycling systems around the globe. In the automotive industry, recycling programs are a major contributor to achieving carbon reduction goals and the use of recyclable aluminum 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," says Michael Hahne, vice president of automotive at 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 helps optimize material recovery rates by using digitized processes and laser-cutting technology in manufacturing exterior vehicle body parts. In addition, the proximity of the Halle plant to Novelis' Nachterstedt Recycling Center 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," says 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 aluminum 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.
