Novelis has started operating its first electric pusher furnace at its Sierre plant, Switzerland.
The pusher furnace is used to heat aluminium ingots prior to rolling.
By transitioning from natural gas to electricity based on the local Swiss power mix, Novelis expects to cut emissions by approximately 4,500 tonnes CO2eq per year and reduce overall energy consumption by around 25% compared to the former gas-fired system.
Serge Gaudin, Plant Manager of Sierre & Director of Recycling Plants for Novelis in Europe, said: “This development moves the plant closer to achieving its goal of carbon-neutral operations; a core component of our long-term 3x30 decarbonisation strategy.”
While this shift changes the allocation of emissions between Scope 1 and Scope 2, the substantially lower carbon intensity of the electricity used results in net reduction of total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
This milestone demonstrates how technology upgrades can deliver measurable emissions and energy reductions at the operational level.
The concept for an electric pusher furnace originated from the Net Zero Lab Valais initiative.
Novelis launched this in February 2022 in collaboration with energy distributor OIKEN and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, along with EPFL, to develop carbon-neutral solutions for aluminium manufacturing.
Novelis has also initiated joint studies with Oiken to extend the city’s district heating system, which aims to supply roughly 20%-30% of the total energy needed by the city of Sierre.
As part of the Net Zero Lab Valais roadmap, Novelis plans to continue to scale electrification and low-carbon energy integration at its Sierre plant, while also exploring decarbonisation solutions across the company’s global production network.