Aughinish Alumina Refinery

Aughinish Alumina Refinery is an aluminium smelter in Ireland with a reported capacity of 2,000,000 t of alumina/aluminum. It smelts alumina into primary aluminium by high-current electrolysis. It is operated by United Company RUSAL PJSC. By capacity it ranks #1 of 2 aluminium smelters tracked in Ireland. It emits about 2,325,266 tonnes of CO₂e per year (Climate TRACE) — roughly the tailpipe emissions of 542,020 cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is about 44% below the median aluminium smelter.

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-43764957.

Im Kontext: wie sich diese Anlage vergleicht

Bei 2,000,000 t of alumina/aluminum ist Aughinish Alumina Refinery etwa um dem Medianwert von aluminium smelter in Ireland (2,000,000 t of alumina/aluminum). Sein CO₂ pro Kapazitätseinheit liegt ungefähr 18% unter dem Medianwert von aluminium smelter. Untersektor: aluminum. Als aluminium smelter benötigt es intensive Prozesswärme (typischerweise 600–900°C) für seinen Kernbetrieb — Wärme, die durch Dampfkessel, Öfen oder direkte Verbrennung geliefert werden muss, und Verluste durch ungedämmte Behälter und Rohrleitungen stellen verschwendeten Brennstoff dar. Modulare abnehmbare Dämmung kann diese Verluste um 80–96% senken, Oberflächen auf ≤45°C kühlen, mit Amortisationszeiten oft unter 2 Jahren. Aluminiumhütten nutzen große Elektroströme, um Tonerde in geschmolzenes Aluminium über 900°C zu raffinieren, und das heiße Metall muss durch Tiegel und Gießausrüstung fließen.

Vergleich von Kapazität und CO₂-Intensität berechnet aus Climate TRACE Industrieanlagendaten; Sektorrolle basierend auf Ingenieurreferenz.

What 2,325,266 t CO₂e a year looks like

This facility's reported annual CO₂e in the everyday equivalents from the US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator:

Equivalencies: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies. Emissions: Climate TRACE.

Capacity vs largest aluminium smelters in Ireland

Reported capacity (t of alumina/aluminum), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).

Operator

Operated by United Company RUSAL PJSC. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Aughinish Alumina Refinery sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 52.6°N in the northern hemisphere.

Köppen zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

How it compares & nearby sites

The #1 largest of 2 aluminium smelters in Ireland by reported capacity.

Nearby industrial sites

• Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland Limited · Food & Beverage · 64,192 t CO₂
• Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District · Aluminium Smelter · 138,729 t CO₂
• Limerick Cement Plant · Cement Plant · 237,549 t CO₂
• Kerry Ingredients (Ireland) Limited (Listowel) · Food & Beverage · 64,192 t CO₂
• Kerry Ingredients (Ireland) Limited (Charleville) · Food & Beverage · 64,192 t CO₂
• Tipperary Co-Operative Creamery Limited · Food & Beverage · 64,192 t CO₂

Location

Coordinates 52.61855, -9.07764. View on OpenStreetMap.

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