Novelis Announces Major Investment at the South Alabama Mega Site in Baldwin County, Alabama
19 May, 2022
Bay Minette, Ala. – Novelis, the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, has announced plans to build a new advanced manufacturing facility at the South Alabama Mega Site in Baldwin County, Alabama. With plans to invest $2.5 billion, Novelis is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs with its new low-carbon recycling and rolling plant at the 3,000-acre site in Bay Minette. The plant will be the first fully integrated aluminum mill built in the United States in 40 years.
“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,” said Steve Fisher, president and CEO of Novelis Inc. “In addition, we are well-positioned to efficiently expand capacity at this facility in the future – above the 600kt announced today – to capture ongoing strong demand. Our readiness to invest to serve growing markets is a perfect example of how we are delivering on our company purpose of shaping a sustainable world together.”
The fully integrated plant will leverage the company’s long-term relationships with many of the world’s leading beverage, packaging and automotive brands to meet growing demand for sustainable aluminum solutions. The plant will be primarily powered with renewable energy, use recycled water and be a zero-waste facility. Novelis is committed to being a carbon-neutral company by 2050 or sooner, and plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2026.
The new facility in Baldwin County will be the most sophisticated and sustainable of its kind, and will have a strong focus on employee safety. It will also make use of advanced automation and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robotics. The facility will have an initial 600 kilotonnes of finished aluminum goods capacity per year.
“With this massive investment and large-scale hiring plans, Novelis will launch a high-tech aluminum mill that will generate significant economic impacts throughout the region for generations,” Governor Kay Ivey stated. “Novelis is a world-class company, and we know that it has selected a prime location in ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and specifically Baldwin County as home for its growth plans.”
The new facility will bring high-wage, high-skill jobs to Baldwin County, with Novelis projecting an average annual salary of $65,000 for its employees.
Novelis also announced plans to develop an Advanced Manufacturing and Leadership Training Center in Daphne, Alabama, where best-in-class training will be provided to industry leaders across Novelis’ footprint. The leadership center will be located at the Daphne Innovation + Science Complex and will help push Baldwin County to the forefront of innovation in workforce training and leadership in the metals industry.
“The Baldwin County Commission’s strategic investment in the South Alabama Mega Site was made with a return in mind, and that return has come to fruition with this major investment by Novelis,” stated Baldwin County Commissioner Jeb Ball. “Having an innovative partner like Novelis located in North Baldwin County will propel our economy forward in new and exciting ways. We are honored to welcome the Novelis team to our community.”
“Baldwin County’s accelerated growth and forward-thinking leadership has made it possible to attract Novelis, a world-class company, to our community,” shared Lee Lawson, president and CEO of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance. “The economic and generational impact this investment will have on Baldwin County will help further diversify and grow our economy for years to come.”
Novelis serves customers from a wide variety of industries including beverage packaging, automotive, building & construction, aerospace and consumer electronics. The Baldwin County facility will primarily serve the growing beverage can market. Aluminum beverage cans, bottles and cups are seeing rising consumer demand due to the desire for sustainable packaging that is part of a circular economy. The plant will also serve the automotive market, where aluminum is the fastest-growing material, as automakers make plans to achieve their sustainability goals. As the world’s leading provider of aluminum automotive sheet, the company’s aluminum can be found in more than 225 vehicle models produced by leading automakers around the globe.
“Bay Minette is excited to have a new partner for economic growth in Novelis, and we welcome this industry-leading company to our community. The economic impact of this investment will benefit our residents for many years to come,” said Mayor Bob Wills.
“CSX is pleased to welcome Novelis to the South Alabama Mega Site and to be their transportation partner to move high-quality aluminum products across North America,” said Arthur Adams, senior vice president of sales and marketing for CSX. “CSX is proud to be a part of America’s sustainable future by providing safe, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions.”
“We’re committed to supporting efforts that grow Alabama businesses, develop our communities and provide quality jobs,” said Jeff Peoples, Alabama Power executive vice president of customer and employee services. “We welcome Novelis to Baldwin County and are pleased to provide the clean, safe and reliable energy solutions needed for their operations.”
Site work is underway now, and Novelis expects to begin commissioning in mid-2025. For more information on Novelis and the new facility, visit novelis.com/bayminette.
About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is driven by its purpose of shaping a sustainable world together. We are a global leader in the production of innovative aluminum products and solutions and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions and to achieve a fully circular economy by partnering with our suppliers, as well as our customers in the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties industries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis had net sales of $17.1 billion in fiscal year 2022. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai. For more information, visit novelis.com.
