Novelis Inc. plans automotive sheet-making plant in China

The world’s leading aluminum and copper producer Novelis Inc., which is part of India’s largest aluminium maker Hindalco Industries Ltd., plans to infuse US$100 million to establish a manufacturing plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, China, with an annual capacity of 120,000 metric tons. Hindalco Industries, an arm of the country’s diversified business conglomerate Aditya Birla Group, has entered into an agreement with the Changzhou National Hi-Tech District (CND), a state-level high-tech industrial development zone in China, to establish its first automotive sheet manufacturing facility in China, Novelis said in a statement. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in late 2014. “This investment…further solidifies Novelis’ position as the partner-of-choice for global automotive manufacturers seeking to drive fuel efficiency, high performance and innovative design in current and next-generation vehicles,” Novelis’ President and Chief Executive Officer Philip Martens said. The company has plans to bring rolled aluminium coils manufactured at its South Korean operations to the new Changzhou facility for heat treatment and finishing before delivering these to customers within and outside China. Novelis is the global leader in aluminium rolled products and aluminium can recycling. The company operates in 11 countries. (April 14, 2012)