For Novelis, New Alabama Aluminum Mill

CSX on May 11 tweeted: “Today, CSX SVP of Sales Arthur Adams joined @Novelis to celebrate the announcement of their new facility at the South Alabama Megasite! CSX is proud to be Novelis’ transportation partner to move aluminum products and to be a part of America’s sustainable future.” (Photo Courtesy of CSX)

Novelis Inc. on May 11 reported it would build a $2.5 billion aluminum recycling, rolling and finishing plant in Bay Minette, Ala., to be served by CSX.

Novelis chose a CSX Select Site northeast of Mobile for the plant, which is slated to have an initial capacity of 600 kilotons of finished aluminum goods per year for the beverage can and automotive markets. More than half of the capacity will be used “to serve growing demand for aluminum beverage can sheet in North America,” said Novelis, a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited and the metals flagship company of Mumbai-based Aditya Birla Group.

With a new recycling center for beverage cans at the site, Novelis said it will soon be able to recycle 90 billion cans globally, up from the 74 billion used beverage cans the company currently recycles.

The fully integrated aluminum mill is expected to create up to 1,000 manufacturing jobs. Site work is under way, and the company expects to begin commissioning in mid-2025.

“Through this investment, we are making a demonstrative commitment to continue to grow alongside our customers and meet their needs for low-carbon, highly sustainable aluminum solutions,” Novelis President and CEO Steve Fisher said. “In addition, we are well-positioned to efficiently expand capacity at this facility in the future—above the 600 kilotons announced today [May 11]—to capture ongoing strong demand.”

“The Novelis project is what the CSX Select Site program is all about,” CSX Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Arthur Adams said. “Working with state and local officials, we pave the way for companies like to Novelis to choose sites with efficient transportation, utility access and community support.”

“Novelis’ new recycling and rolling plant will not only add much-needed domestic production of sustainable aluminum here in North America, but will do so while decreasing the carbon footprint of the products we create,” said Ron Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, Global Beverage Packaging for Ball Corporation.

“Aluminum cans are an important form of packaging that, when recycled, play a vital role in our overall efforts to reduce waste,” The Coca-Cola Company Chief Financial Officer John Murphy said. “The announcement of this new, low-carbon recycling and rolling facility by our longtime partners at Novelis will benefit the Coca-Cola system, our customers and consumers, while reducing impact on the environment.”