Novelis to build solar park at Italy site

Atlanta-based aluminum recycling and rolling company Novelis Inc. has announced the construction of its first solar park at the company’s production site in Pieve Emanuele, Italy. The company says local authorities granted their final approval for building the more than 28,000-square-meter (301,389-square-foot) solar park, which is scheduled to start generating electricity by the end of this year.

Novelis says it is investing $2.4 million in decarbonizing its production in Pieve, further supporting the development of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions for the European market.

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The company says the solar park’s expected annual production of around 4,000 megawatt hours will enable the plant to switch a large portion of its energy sources from carbon-intensive to renewable ones while decreasing its reliance on external energy sources. The park will be connected to the Italian national grid, allowing for energy produced outside the plant’s operating hours to be used by surrounding communities.

“Investing in renewable energy generation is crucial to decarbonizing our operations and meeting our sustainability goals,” Novelis Executive Vice President and Novelis Europe President Emilio Braghi says. “Further increasing our capabilities to supply aluminum produced with a lower CO₂ footprint will also enable us to help our customers reduce their scope 3 emissions and achieve their decarbonization goals.”

Located in the south of Milan, Novelis says its Pieve plant is an ideal location to build a solar park as it has a large unoccupied area with high sun exposure.

“In addition to the importance of the solar park for Novelis, the project is also an investment in increasing renewable energy generation in the Lombardi region,” Novelis Pieve Plant Manager Laura Basile says. “I am very proud that our team is part of a company that is leading the way in decarbonizing the aluminum industry while adding value to surrounding communities.”

Novelis has a target to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2026, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner. The company says it will continue to seek opportunities to decarbonize its operations by switching to renewable energy sources.