Novelis resumes production after storms
Published: Thursday, Sep 26th 2024, 13:00
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The Novelis aluminum factory in Sierre VS partially resumed production at the beginning of this week, three months after the devastating storms in Valais. The company expects production at the plant to be running at full capacity again by the end of October.
"The priority was to get our production system up and running again quickly and safely," Emilio Braghi, President of Novelis Europe, was quoted as saying in a press release on Thursday. "In addition, our efforts focused on minimizing the impact on our customers and suppliers."
The flooding of the Rhone caused considerable damage to facilities such as the foundry, the rolling mills and the finishing department, it added. The company, which operates at 33 locations worldwide, was able to rely on its network to mitigate the impact of the disaster on its customers.
Novelis was also able to count on the solidarity and extraordinary efforts of its employees and internal specialists. In August, Braghi estimated the total net impact of the costs incurred on cash flow after insurance benefits at CHF 70 to 80 million.
At Constellium, the other company affected by the severe storms, production is expected to resume at the Sierre and Chippis sites from the end of October. In an interview with the daily newspaper "Le Nouvelliste" in mid-September, CEO Paul Robillard put the damage at CHF 125 million, of which CHF 75 million will be borne by the company.
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