Novelis – a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling – selected ABB to modernize a mission-critical powertrain at its Swiss plant in Sierre. ABB provided a holistic solution, supplying new equipment, upgrading the automation system, handling all installation work, and managing the transportation and recycling of obsolete assets. This approach, where modernization was coupled with end-of-life management, proved extremely valuable for the customer, providing both environmental and economic benefits.
Novelis’ flagship plant in Sierre, southern Switzerland, supplies aluminum components to the automotive industry. Operating around the clock, the fully integrated facility processes approximately 250,000 tons of aluminum annually to meet the increased demand for more light-weight vehicles.
Leveraging a partnership established over 30 years ago, Novelis chose ABB to upgrade the automation system and powertrain in the plant’s cold rolling mill, which produces aluminum coils for car body’s outer skin.
The original DC motors were initially installed at the Sierre factory in the early 1980s, together with several large transformers. These now obsolete motors, which are both large and heavy, made responsible recycling a critical part of the overall project. The ability to provide an end-to-end solution, including economically and logistically convenient recycling, was a key factor in Novelis’ decision to award the modernization contract to ABB.
ABB’s solution, engineered to meet the specific needs of the customer, comprised the flagship ABB drive ACS6080, and compact AMZ synchronous motors. The newly installed equipment is set to deliver greater efficiency and improved performance at high-speed, while offering enhanced speed control.
“At Novelis Sierre, we are very proud to be at the forefront of sustainable aluminum solutions. By partnering with ABB, and future-proofing our critical assets, we are supporting our overall ‘3x30’ vision,” explains Serge Gaudin, Director Automotive Operations, Sierre and Nachterstedt, Novelis Europe. “By combining advanced innovation with our deep expertise, we are increasing our energy efficiency, reducing our maintenance costs and enhancing the reliability of our operations. This approach allows us to accelerate our decarbonization roadmap and continue our circular journey – both critical goals for Novelis.”
ABB’s Take-Back and Recycling Program: the power of partnerships
ABB Motion’s Take-Back and Recycling Program turns obsolete, inefficient motors and drives into value; it offers voucher credits, eases compliance with sustainability regulations, and supports circular principles. Customers benefit from seamless access to recycling and reduce their environmental impact, thanks to responsible end-of-life management and material recovery.
The program, which is currently being scaled across the globe, leverages strong relationships with local recycling partners. These partnerships ensure that critical resources are preserved, helping customers to reclaim value in innovative ways.
One such example is ABB’s longstanding partnership with Thommen Group, in Switzerland. The company operates several sites around the country, which means that recycling facilities can be located near to ABB’s customers, helping minimize logistical challenges, transport costs and emissions. When modernizing Novelis’ powertrain, ABB transported the dismantled products from the Sierre site to a nearby Thommen recycling facility. There, advanced technology was used to achieve high material recovery yields. In fact, motors are composed of highly recyclable materials, with up to 99.4 percent recoverable through specialized processes. The remaining 0.6 percent—primarily insulation from cables—is directed to waste-to-energy plants, where it is safely converted into heat or electricity. Crucially, no waste is sent to landfill, ensuring a fully responsible and traceable end-of-life approach.
“At Thommen Group, sustainability drives us,” says Georges Janett, Regional Director West, Thommen Group. “Together with ABB, we dismantled end-of-life transformers and motors from Novelis. At our Bex recycling facility, valuable raw materials are recovered and returned to the economy, protecting resources, fueling innovation, and shaping the future for generations to come.”
Circularity as a competitive advantage
Circularity is about doing more with less—products that last longer, systems built to outperform, and materials reborn through retrofitting and recycling. As such, it’s a strategic lever for performance and profitability. This case shows how ABB’s Take-Back and Recycling Program turns end-of-life assets into opportunity, not waste, by providing clear financial benefits for customers.
Industrial players can convert old motors and drives into ABB voucher credits, that can be utilized on new purchases, upgrades, or service renewals. This program turns end-of-life assets into value, reduces disposal costs, and creates investment opportunities for other decarbonization measures, such as energy-efficient improvements. The availability of a Thommen recycling site near the Sierre plant enhanced the business case for Novelis.
ABB’s Take-Back and Recycling Program is also aligned with Novelis’ ambitious sustainability goals. Novelis operates the world’s first and largest closed-loop recycling system, where it focuses on low-carbon aluminum solutions, which are high in recycled content. The team at Novelis were pleasantly surprised to discover the economic, operational and environmental advantages offered by the ABB Motion Take-Back and Recycling Program.
“Circularity is no longer a side initiative. It’s about competitiveness,” says Jan Hoedle, Digital Solutions Specialist, ABB Motion Services. “At ABB, we help businesses unlock their circular edge by turning sustainable practices into strategic advantages. Our circular approach keeps value in use. It is extremely rewarding to see that, by improving performance and profitability today, Novelis is investing in a future that’s leaner and cleaner.”
Learn more about ABB Motion Take-Back and Recycling Program here.
Serge Gaudin, Director Automotive Operations, Sierre and Nachterstedt, Novelis Europe 
Georges Janett, Regional Director West, Thommen Group 
Jan Hoedle, Digital Solutions Specialist, ABB Motion Services
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com
Novelis Inc. is driven by its purpose of shaping a sustainable world together. We are a global leader in the production of innovative aluminum products and solutions and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions and to achieve a fully circular economy by partnering with our suppliers, as well as our customers in the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties industries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis had net sales of $17.1 billion in the fiscal year 2025. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai. For more information, visit novelis.com.
Rooted in Switzerland, the Thommen Group is one of Europe's leading recycling companies. With its three strong brands, Thommen, Metallum, and Immark, it offers complete recycling solutions for industry, commerce, and municipalities. With over 30 locations in five countries, the Thommen Group has a global footprint, acting as a key player in the circular economy. As a producer of high-quality recycled raw materials, the Thommen Group creates and conserves resources and empowers Circularity.
