Novelis Inc. will invest approximately $180 million to double its automotive aluminum-sheet capacity at its Changzhou facility in China. A new continuous-annealing, solution heat-treatment line will add approximately 100,000 tons of capacity and will include a high-speed slitter as well as a fully automated packaging line. Novelis plans to begin expanding its existing facility in 2018 in order to be operational by 2020. Upon completion, the company expects to create around 160 full time jobs.

The timing of this investment is closely aligned with key customer product launches slated for 2020-2021 from both traditional automakers and electric vehicle start-ups. Novelis' investment in China is its second automotive investment this year. In January, the company announced a $300 million greenfield manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Ky., with an annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons.