Restart of Oswego facility eases supply constraints for U.S. automakers after $2 billion impact on Ford alone.
Novelis has resumed operations at its Oswego, New York aluminum plant following a nine-month shutdown caused by two fires. The facility supplies automotive aluminum sheet to major U.S. automakers, including Ford, GM, and Stellantis, and its outage disrupted production of vehicle parts like fenders and hoods.
The fires, which occurred last September and November, damaged critical machinery and building structures. Ford, which uses aluminum for its F-150 pickup truck, faced significant supply shortages and disclosed potential one-time costs of up to $2 billion due to the crisis. Novelis expects the plant to operate below full capacity in the near term.
The restart alleviates pressure on automakers ahead of peak summer sales, though full recovery may take weeks. Novelis had previously relied on alternative production to meet demand during the outage.