Novelis and VELUX partner to reduce carbon footprint of roof windows

Aluminium recycler Novelis and the VELUX Group have announced a partnership to decarbonise the aluminium in roof windows. Novelis will provide high-recycled-content, flat-rolled aluminium for use in VELUX’s manufacturing of roof windows.

Novelis told Resource that the aluminium supplied to VELUX is cast in Novelis’ Nachterstedt Recycling Center in Germany – which they said was ‘the world’s largest, most technologically advanced recycling facility’ – and other Novelis European remelt operations. The hot rolling, cold rolling and finishing operations will be taking place at additional Novelis’ sites in Germany.

The agreement hopes to achieve below 4.0kg of carbon emitted per kilogram of supplied rolled aluminium by the end of 2024. The average carbon footprint of primary aluminium used in Europe is over double this. The partners hope for further carbon reductions by 2030.

The supplied aluminium has a recycled content of around 70 per cent which is up 30 per cent from the aluminium Novelis currently supplies to VELUX. Recycled aluminium accounts for 95 per cent fewer carbon emissions than non-recycled aluminium. It also takes about five per cent the amount of energy to produce.

A further objective of the partnership is to develop more circular coating systems.

Nikolaj Cederquist, Vice President of Global Procurement at VELUX, said: “The Novelis agreement marks our second strategic aluminium partnership this year as we accelerate actions to decarbonise our products and value chain.

“Our scope 3 carbon emissions are our largest and they are also the hardest for us to reduce, which is why partnerships will help us go far and faster.

“With more than 94 per cent of the VELUX Group’s carbon footprint stemming from materials used in its products, value chain collaboration is critical for halving its scope 3 and product emissions by 2030. These targets are in addition to the Group’s 100 per cent reduction target for scope 1 and 2 emissions, also by 2030.”

Stephen Boney, Vice President of Speciality Products for Novelis Europe, added: “As a leader in aluminium sustainability, Novelis recognizes that material innovation and collaboration across the value chain will enable decarbonization, support a circular economy and help us achieve our carbon neutrality goal.”