Fluor Nears Finish on $5B Novelis Plant in Alabama
Fluor is nearing construction completion on Novelis’ $5 billion aluminum recycling plant in Bay Minette, Alabama, with commissioning expected to start before the end of 2026, Construction Dive reports.
The Irving, Texas-based contractor recently laid off 66 employees at the site, effective July 31, according to a filing in Alabama’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification database. Companies must generally file WARN notices for layoffs of 50 or more workers at a single location, signaling that the heavy construction workforce is winding down as the project shifts toward commissioning.
Market Impact
Novelis broke ground on the Bay Minette facility in 2022, when the project carried a $2.5 billion price tag. That figure has since doubled to $5 billion, according to the company. Once operational, the plant will be the first fully integrated aluminum recycling and rolling facility built in the U.S. in more than 40 years, with capacity to produce 600,000 metric tons of finished aluminum goods annually.
Fluor, which handled engineering, procurement and construction management on the project, ramped up activity significantly last year. During the second quarter of 2025, crews installed the plant’s hot mill housings alongside foundation and excavation work, with roughly 1,000 workers on site at peak. Novelis’ fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2026 report noted that commissioning of the cold mill began in March, with other portions of the facility now moving into that phase as well.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- The July 31 layoff of 66 workers signals the tail end of heavy trade work (excavation, structural, mechanical installation) on site. Subs still active on punch-list and commissioning-support work should expect scope to taper through the rest of 2026.
- Firms with commissioning, instrumentation, and startup expertise have a window now: cold mill commissioning began in March 2026 and other plant sections are following, meaning specialized commissioning subs may see near-term demand even as general construction staffing shrinks.
- The project’s cost growth from $2.5 billion to $5 billion since 2022 illustrates how long-cycle industrial builds can expand scope and duration well beyond initial estimates, a planning factor for subs bidding fixed-price work on similar megaprojects.
- With construction on track to wrap later this year, subcontractors who held staffing and equipment through the multi-year build are positioned to close out contracts on schedule, while those eyeing the next phase should watch for facility ramp-up or maintenance-related subcontract packages once commissioning concludes.
