American aluminium smelter Constellium SE announced yesterday a new agreement with French automaker Renault Group to create a closed-loop recycling system for Renault’s all-new Megane E-TECH Electric.
Constellium says Renault has already developed a closed-loop recycling system to return aluminium scrap from Renault’s factories to Constellium for recycling. The new system will handle scrap auto body sheet made from its proprietary alloy Surfalex and inner panel scrap made from Constellium’s alloy Formalex.
In a press release, Hervé Ribes, Director, Technical Customer Service Automotive for Constellium’s Packaging & Automotive Rolled Products business unit, expressed his firm’s anticipation at the new partnership.
“We are very excited to continue to collaborate with Renault Group on sustainable and efficient aluminium solutions. Together we will contribute to the circular economy within the automotive industry, while also helping both companies to meet their individual sustainability targets. Further, converting R&D expertise to full-scale industrialization is in the DNA of Constellium. This successful collaboration between Renault Group and Constellium proves that it is working.”
Yvan Chastel, Expert Leader for Metals and Processes at Renault Group, said the collaboration is proof positive of his company’s dedication to lowering carbon production.
“We are delighted to expand these activities with Constellium as part of our journey to carbon neutrality. The closed-loop recycling we had first established for the former vehicles manufactured in Douai are now further optimized for the production volumes of the all-new Megane E-TECH Electric. This collaboration further demonstrates our capacity to be at the forefront of decarbonizing mobility by reducing CO2 emissions throughout the life cycle of our vehicles.”
Constellium, based in France, was founded 1855 as Henri Merle et Compagnie and subsequently renamed Pechiney in 1950. Pechiney was purchased by Alcan in 2003, which was purchased by Rio Tinto in 2007. In 2011 Rio Tinto sold Alcan Engineered Products to Apollo Management (51%) and FSI (10%). Constellium produces rolled and extruded aluminium products from various alloys, bringing in €6.2 billion of revenue in 2021.
