Delfzijl aluminium plant

Delfzijl aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Netherlands with a reported capacity of 150,000 t of alumina/aluminum. It smelts alumina into primary aluminium by high-current electrolysis. It emits about 336,036 tonnes of CO₂e per year (Climate TRACE) — roughly the tailpipe emissions of 78,330 cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is about 7% above the median aluminium smelter.

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-43765147.

W kontekście: jak ta instalacja się porównuje

Przy 150,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Delfzijl aluminium plant jest około medianę aluminium smelter w Netherlands (150,000 t of alumina/aluminum). Podsektor: aluminum. Jako aluminium smelter, wymaga intensywnego ciepła procesowego (typowo 600–900°C) do swoich głównych operacji przemysłowych — ciepła, które musi być dostarczane przez kotły, piece lub spalanie bezpośrednie, a straty przez nieisolowane zbiorniki i rury stanowią zmarnowane paliwo. Modułowa izolacja demontowalna może zmniejszyć te straty o 80–96%, chłodząc powierzchnie do ≤45°C, z zwrotem inwestycji często poniżej 2 lat. Huty aluminium używają dużych prądów elektrycznych do rafinacji tlenku glinu w stopiony aluminium powyżej 900°C, a metal w stanie gorącym musi płynąć przez tygle i urządzenia do odlewania.

Porównanie pojemności i intensywności CO₂ obliczane na podstawie danych instalacji przemysłowych Climate TRACE; rola sektora oparta na odniesieniau inżynierskim.

What 336,036 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.

Local climate

Delfzijl aluminium plant sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 53.3°N in the northern hemisphere.

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

How it compares & nearby sites

Nearby industrial sites

• DAMCO Aluminium Delfzijl Coöperatie U.A. · Metals Plant · 115,000 t CO₂
• BioMCN Methanol Facility · Chemical Plant · 333,750 t CO₂
• Frieslandcampina Bedum · Food & Beverage · 46,589 t CO₂
• Suiker Unie Vierverlaten · Food & Beverage · 151,340 t CO₂
• Avebe U.A. (Ter Apelkanaal) · Food & Beverage · 114,340 t CO₂
• Frisia Food Bv · Food & Beverage · 46,589 t CO₂

Location

Coordinates 53.30755, 6.9755. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

A aluminium smelter like this runs hot equipment that sheds heat continuously: alumina calciner, casthouse furnaces, hot ducting (electrolysis itself is electric) (surface/process temperatures around 150–1,000 °C). These surfaces lose energy to the air year-round; removable modular insulation cuts that loss, brings outer surfaces to ≤45 °C, and unclips for inspection.

electrolysis is mostly electricity (Scope 2) + anode process; on-site combustion small - insulation mainly relevant to alumina refining/casthouse.

Indicative recoverable energy

On an already-insulated site (pipes & valves in cladding / jackets), closing the remaining gaps, flanges and damaged sections and switching to removable covers indicatively recovers about 2,000 MWh/yr (≈ 390 t CO₂/yr) — scaled to this site's reported CO₂ within its sector. Bare or damaged surfaces recover several times more.

See Inzonex insulation → Estimate your site →

Indicative, not a measurement. Conservative floor for an already-insulated plant; a TIPCHECK on-site audit gives a measured figure. Industry context: EiiF TIPCHECK — industrial insulation can save ~14 Mtoe/yr in EU, payback typically <2 years.

Safety & the no-regret first step

Bare hot surfaces here exceed the touch-safe limit (EN ISO 13732-1); insulation to ≤45 °C is a worker-safety and compliance win. And before electrification, fuel-switching or CCS, eliminating surface heat loss is the cheapest, fastest, lowest-risk step — audit the bare spots first, rip-and-replace later.

Netherlands: funding & obligation

Funding. Deduct 40% of qualifying Energy-List investment from taxable profit; 2026 budget EUR 460M; min EUR 2,500/asset.

Obligation. Large enterprises (>250 staff or >EUR 50M turnover / >EUR 43M balance) must audit every 4 yrs. (applies as a rule above the stated threshold — we don't hold this site's metered energy use).

Verified 2026; confirm current scheme terms before applying.

Frequently asked questions