Novelis Seeks More Aluminum Production as Oswego Plant Returns

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

An aluminum-rolling plant that supplies significant quantities to U.S. automakers is up and running again after a fire shut down operations last year, and the company is pushing for more aluminum production in the U.S. and Europe.

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Oswego Returns to Life

Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company (GM) and other automakers received good news Wednesday when Novelis Incorporated, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group, announced it was restarting production at a major aluminum-rolling plant that serves the U.S. automotive sector. Novelis also is calling for more aluminum production in the U.S. and Europe, both of which it says depend too heavily on imports. Industrial Info Resources is tracking $5.9 billion worth of active and proposed Novelis projects worldwide, $4.4 billion of which is attributed to U.S.-based projects.

A fire erupted in September 2025 at Novelis' aluminum-rolling plant in Oswego, New York. It halted the production of roughly 40% of aluminum sheet used by U.S. automakers, with Ford taking the brunt of the hit. The plant's hot mill, which was damaged beyond operations by the fire, is used to roll and shape large blocks of solidified aluminum, known as aluminum ingots, into sheets used to make bumpers, doors and other vehicle components. Readers can learn more from Industrial Info Resources' October 10, 2025, article - Aluminum Mill Fire Threatens to Put Big Dent in Ford's Auto Production.

Novelis initially announced the facility would be operational again in the first quarter of this year, but a second fire broke out during repairs in November, further delaying the rebuild and restart of the hot mill, which can produce 560,000 tons per year of aluminum ingots. Even with the facility now back in action, production remains limited until it can fully return to service.

"With the hot mill now operational, Novelis is working closely with customers to ramp up supply," the company said in a press release. Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the Oswego rebuild in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Plant and Project databases, where readers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in a plant profile and project report.

During the shutdown, Novelis mitigated the blow to its output by boosting operations at plants in Europe, Brazil and South Korea. However, the Trump administration's heavy tariffs on imported metals added red to the company's balance sheets.

Ford said in its earnings-related report for third-quarter 2025 that the halt in Oswego's production would cost the automaker up to $2 billion going into 2026, although executives expect to mitigate at least $1 billion of that amount.

By the Numbers

• $5.9 billion: Total value of active and proposed Novelis projects worldwide
• 560,000 tons per year: Average output of aluminum ingots at the company's plant in Oswego, New York
• 70%: Share of Novelis' global project spending attributed to a major recycling project in Alabama

More Capacity on the Way

According to Industrial Info Resources data, nearly 70% of Novelis' global project spending is attributed to a single project: a low-carbon aluminum recycling and rolling mill in Bay Minette, Alabama, which is designed to increase the company's global beverage can-recycling capacity from 74 billion to 90 billion cans annually. Other products from the facility will serve the automotive market.

The Bay Minette project has been under construction since the fourth quarter of 2022. Last month, Novelis announced it has started installing the hot mill housings at the site, which it calls the "heaviest pieces" of the development. Readers can learn more about Bay Minette from a detailed project report and about similar projects from Industrial Info Resources' October 13, 2025, article - Tariffs Drive Demand for U.S.-Made Recycled Aluminum Products.

Also this week, Novelis released a whitepaper advocating for stronger aluminum development across Europe, where primary production has declined but demand has risen steadily from the automotive, construction and packaging sectors. "While recycling has expanded and now exceeds primary production, [Novelis] finds that existing systems are not yet operating at their full potential," the company said in a press release.

Novelis' European projects include an extension of its Latchford Aluminum UBC plant in Warrington, England, which kicked off earlier this year. The company aims to lower emissions and increase efficiency at the facility, which it hopes will allow it to process every metal can collected under the U.K.'s Deposit Return Scheme. The government program offers refunds to consumers who return single-use plastic bottles and metal cans to a designated place.

Novelis also is adding railcar capacity at its recycling facility in Seeland, Germany, to more efficiently transport aluminum coils, scrap and aluminum ingots. More information on these developments can be found in detailed reports on the Latchford and Seeland projects.

"Although Europe generates a significant volume of scrap, too much of it is exported, limiting opportunities for domestic recycling and value creation," the company said in a press release. "Increasing the availability and use of scrap can help lower emissions and reduce dependence on imported aluminum."

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for active and proposed Novelis projects worldwide.

Key Takeaways

• Novelis is restarting production at a major aluminum-rolling plant that serves the U.S. automotive sector.
• A development underway in Alabama would increase the company's global beverage can-recycling capacity significantly.
• Novelis also is pushing for stronger aluminum development across Europe, partly to reduce dependence on imports.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).