Net Zero Lab Valais – Novelis Sierre to develop Carbon-Neutral Solutions for Aluminium Manufacturing

Novelis launched a research and development laboratory to advance carbon neutral solutions for aluminium manufacturing, together with local energy distributor OIKEN and HES-SO Valais-Wallis in collaboration with EPFL from the Swiss innovation and research hub Energypolis Campus. 

The laboratory, called Net Zero Lab Valais, is located at Novelis’ manufacturing site in Sierre, Switzerland. It focuses on identifying and implementing solutions for carbon neutral aluminium production processes with the goal to achieve carbon neutrality at the facility for Scope 1 and 2 by 2030. 

“We will develop innovative solutions that we can later implement on a broader scale at our different production sites across the globe, while we simultaneously continue to work on increasing the recycled content in our products to deliver the lowest total carbon footprint for aluminium sheet,” said Emilio Braghi, Executive Vice President, Novelis Inc. and President, Novelis Europe. “We are very proud to have such strong and experienced partners as HES-SO Valais-Wallis, EPFL and OIKEN at our side to drive carbon neutral production for rolled aluminum.”  

Net Zero Lab Valais will further launch an ecosystem for the region, where Novelis will share the energy from the plant with the surrounding community. This will not only help reduce the carbon footprint of the site itself, but also lower the region’s carbon footprint. 

Net Zero Lab Valais is a step toward achieving Novelis’ sustainability goal of becoming carbon neutral by no later than 2050, while also increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste and supporting communities where it has operations.  

“This partnership underscores our commitment to carbon neutrality and we expect the research to allow for greater innovation in advancing our purpose of shaping a sustainable world together,” said Pierre Labat, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Novelis Inc. 

Press release with statements from all Net Zero Lab Valais partners: Novelis Launches Net Zero Lab to Develop Carbon-Neutral Solutions for Aluminium Manufacturing