[INTERVIEW] 'Aluminum ideal material for EV era'
Writer Admin Date 2021-03-30 13:54

Novelis Asia head stresses recyclability will be key competitiveness

 

As the global automobile industry accelerates its transition to electric vehicles (EVs), component and raw material industries within the supply chain are also being highlighted.

One of them is aluminum. Dubbed the "green metal," aluminum is under renewed focus for its use in EVs and EV batteries, thanks to its light weight, advantageous properties and recyclability.

Novelis Asia President Sachin Satpute said market demand for aluminum will grow exponentially with the expansion of global EV markets, especially in Asia, and technology to recycle the metal will become one of the decisive factors in competitions between companies.

"In the coming years, recycling and sustainability are going to drive aluminum consumption," Satpute said during an interview with The Korea Times. "Our vision is to lead the aluminum industry as a partner of choice for innovative and sustainable solutions."

Novelis is one of the leading producers of flat-rolled aluminum products and the largest aluminum recycler. Its Asian headquarters are in Seoul, and Novelis has two manufacturing plants in Korea ― one in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and the other in Ulsan ― producing roughly 720,000 tons of aluminum a year.

At its Yeongju plant, which is also the largest aluminum recycling center in Asia, the company focuses on producing 500,000 tons of aluminum coils for beverage cans including recycling 320,000 tons aluminum per year. At the Ulsan plant, which is a 50:50 joint venture with Japan's Kobe Steel, Novelis concentrates on producing automotive feedstock products, such as aluminum rolls, which are processed into sheets for vehicles, and aluminum products for electronic devices and EV batteries or what the company calls "specialty products."

Read More: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2021/03/129_305639.html