Date: August 29, 2019
Location: Nachterstedt, Saxony-Anhalt (Germany)
Address: Gaterslebener Strasse 1, 06469
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Aluminum Dust
Industry: Aluminum Recycling (Metalworking)
Equipment: Dust Collector
Company: Novelis Inc.
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Novelis Inc. manufactures aluminum rolled products and is the world’s largest recycler of aluminum. It has approximately 11,200 employees and provides aluminum sheet and foil products to markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America.
When the plant in Nachterstedt, Germany, was opened in 2014, it was described as the world’s largest aluminum recycling center, with an annual processing capacity of up to 400,000 metric tons of aluminum scrap.
Incident Description:
On August 29, 2019, a YouTube video was posted of a dust explosion at a recycling plant in Nachterstedt, Germany.
The incident occurred at around 2:00 p.m., after a mixture of lime and bound carbon dust escaped from defective equipment. At 8:00 p.m., a reaction with the water used to dampen the dust caused an explosion, which spread dust further.
Local firefighters responded due to concerns about dust spreading. Employees were also evacuated and production in the rolling mill was temporarily halted. There were no injuries, and production resumed the next day.
Sources:
YouTube
