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Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant

Aluminium Smelter in South Africa. Approximate location -28.76698, 32.03106.

Aluminium SmelterSouth AfricaCO₂ reported

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in South Africa with a reported capacity of 724,000 t of alumina/aluminum. It smelts alumina into primary aluminium by high-current electrolysis. It is operated by South32 Ltd. It emits about 1,602,048 tonnes of CO₂e per year (Climate TRACE) — roughly the tailpipe emissions of 373,438 cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is about 6% above the median aluminium smelter.

724,000t of alumina/aluminum
1,602,048t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#3CO₂ rank in South Africa
2.21t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673154.

En contexto: cómo se compara esta instalación

Con 724,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant está alrededor de la mediana de aluminium smelter en South Africa (724,000 t of alumina/aluminum). Subsector: aluminum. Como aluminium smelter, requiere calor de proceso intenso (típicamente 600–900°C) para sus operaciones industriales centrales — calor que debe ser suministrado por calderas, hornos o combustión directa, y las pérdidas a través de recipientes y tuberías sin aislar representan combustible desperdiciado. El aislamiento modular desmontable puede reducir esas pérdidas en un 80–96%, enfriando superficies a ≤45°C, con amortización a menudo inferior a 2 años. Las fundiciones de aluminio utilizan grandes corrientes eléctricas para refinar alúmina en aluminio fundido por encima de 900°C, y el metal caliente debe fluir a través de crisoles y equipos de colada.

Comparación de capacidad e intensidad de CO₂ calculada a partir de datos de instalaciones industriales de Climate TRACE; papel del sector basado en referencia de ingeniería.

What 1,602,048 t CO₂e a year looks like

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

373,438cars driven for a year
208,926homes' annual energy use
26,700,800tree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Operator

Operated by South32 Ltd. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant sits in a humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa), at 28.8°S in the southern hemisphere.

~18°Ctypical annual mean
~27°Ctypical warm-season
Humid subtropical: hot summers and mild winters

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

How it compares & nearby sites

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates -28.76698, 32.03106. View on OpenStreetMap.

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Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant?

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in South Africa. It smelts alumina into primary aluminium by high-current electrolysis.

What is the capacity of Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant?

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant has a reported capacity of 724,000 t of alumina/aluminum.

How much CO₂ does Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant emit?

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant emits about 1,602,048 tonnes of CO₂e per year (Climate TRACE) — roughly the tailpipe emissions of 373,438 cars. That ranks #3 among tracked facilities in South Africa.

Where is Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant located?

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant is in South Africa, near coordinates -28.76698, 32.03106.

Who operates Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant?

Richards Bay, Hillside aluminium plant is operated by South32 Ltd.

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