Novelis breaks ground on the aluminum producer’s new recycling center in Guthrie, Kentucky, a $365M investment creating 140 well-paying jobs for Kentuckians. “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to take part in this ground-breaking ceremony today for a project that will create 140 quality jobs for Kentucky residents,” Gov. Beshear said. “Novelis has seen rapid growth in our state, and this new recycling center in Todd County emphasizes the company’s commitment to sustainability and job creation in the commonwealth. I want to thank the leaders at Novelis for this latest long-term commitment in our incredible workforce.”
Novelis broke ground on its new sheet ingot casting, shredding and recycling center, which will serve the automotive market with annual capacity of 240,000 tons. The new facility will be located near the company’s existing automotive finishing plant on Old Railroad Lane in Guthrie. Novelis leaders expect the project to reduce the company’s carbon emissions by more than 1 million tons each year and enable the company to grow its automotive recycling programs in North America. Use of recycled aluminum as input material requires only 5% of the energy used to make primary aluminum, in turn eliminating 95% of the carbon emissions associated with production.
The new facility was announced in January, just over two months after Gov. Beshear joined Novelis for the grand opening of the company’s automotive aluminum finishing plant in late October. The initial phase included a $300 million-plus investment creating over 150 jobs, including 100 Kentucky residents. In addition to its Todd County operations, Novelis maintains a 130-employee beverage can recycling facility in Berea that opened in 1989. The Madison County facility melts and casts ingots from 20% of the nation’s recycled beverage cans. Novelis also is an owner of Logan Aluminum, a joint venture with Tri-Arrows Aluminum Co., which is a top employer in Russellville.