Novelis creates closed-loop recycling system with Nissan in Europe

Aluminum rolling and recycling company Novelis, headquartered in Atlanta, says it will supply Nissan aluminum body sheet for the all-new Qashqai SUV and create a closed-loop recycling system in Europe.

The Nissan Qashqai will incorporate Novelis aluminum in the hood and doors to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. By using aluminum, the Qashqai has achieved 21 kilograms (46 pounds) of the total 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of body-in-white weight savings compared with the previous model.

"We are delighted to provide Nissan with sustainable aluminum body sheet solutions as they continue to design lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles with reduced life-cycle emissions," says Michael Hahne, vice president of automotive, Novelis Europe, which is based in Zurich. "Novelis is uniquely positioned to meet the increasing demand for automotive aluminum given its unmatched global footprint and ability to develop innovative, sustainable solutions. We look forward to working with Nissan as they continue to adopt more aluminum and increase their recycling capabilities."

Novelis and Nissan also have established a closed-loop recycling system. Novelis will deliver aluminum from its plant in Nachterstedt, Germany, to Nissan's car plant in Sunderland U.K., where it will then collect the manufacturing scrap and return it to Novelis recycling centers in Europe to be cast and rolled again for production by Nissan. This process creates a circular supply chain that helps both companies achieve their sustainability goals, Novelis says. 

Nissan says 52-million-pound ($73.6 million) investment in aluminum production at Nissan’s Sunderland plant includes a second extra-large press line that was launched last year and a cyclone, a recycling facility that blasts scrap metal out at 150 kilometers an hour (93 miles per hour) and can handle more than 7 tons of metal an hour.

As the hoods and doors are stamped into shape, scrap material is shredded and extracted, Nissan says, keeping aluminum grades separate, which ensures that Nissan can return high-quality scrap for recycling.

Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Ltd., an industry leader in aluminum and copper and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai.