ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant — Mexico
Steel Plant in Mexico. Approximate location 17.93089, -102.20199.
Steel PlantMexicoCO₂ estimate (modelled)
ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant is a steel plant in Mexico. Its listed capacity is 6,500,000 t of steel. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels. It is operated by ArcelorMittal México SA de CV. By capacity it ranks #1 among 10 steel plants in Mexico. It emits about 5,979,126 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE. That is 15% of the CO₂e from the 62 facilities in Mexico that have an emissions figure in IndustryAtlas.
Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-32440903.
Data status
Known source data
Calculated from the dataset
Not available
Source data, measured cross-checks and calculated values are kept separate. No confidence percentage is invented.
Similar facilities by modelled emissions
- SAIL Rourkela steel plant · 5,992,099 t CO₂e/yr · India
- Wu an Yuhua Iron and Steel Co Ltd · 6,006,301 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Guangxi Chiji Iron and Steel Co Ltd · 6,076,900 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Tangshan Fengnan District Jing an Iron and Steel Co Ltd · 6,097,331 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Shandong Iron and Steel Group Yongfeng Lingang Co Ltd · 5,810,582 t CO₂e/yr · China
Same Climate TRACE subsector; closest non-placeholder modelled CO₂e values. Russia and Belarus excluded.
Operating power plants within 50 km
- Plutarco Elías Calles (Petacalco) · Coal · 2,778 MW · 11 km
- La Villita · Hydro · 320 MW · 13 km
- Infiernillo · Hydro · 1,200 MW · 50 km
PowerAtlas operating assets, ordered by great-circle distance from published coordinates.
In context: how this facility compares
At 6,500,000 t of steel, ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant is well above the median steel plant in Mexico (1,650,000 t of steel). Subsector: iron-and-steel. As steel plant, it requires high process heat (typically 800–1500°C) for its core industrial operations, supplied by boilers, furnaces or direct combustion. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels.
Capacity & CO₂-intensity comparison computed from Climate TRACE industrial facilities data; sector role based on engineering reference.
What 5,979,126 t CO₂e a year looks like
This facility's estimated annual CO₂e (Climate TRACE, modelled) in everyday equivalents from the US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator:
Equivalencies: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies. Emissions: Climate TRACE.
Carbon cost and Scope 1 emissions
At its reported 6.0M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 6.0M t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €451M/yr of exposure on EU-bound exports. CBAM share rises from 2.5% (2026) to 100% by 2034. No domestic carbon price — but cement, steel, aluminium, fertilizer and hydrogen exported to the EU face CBAM at €75/t (rising to 100% by 2034).
Carbon price: EU CBAM €75/t · EU ETS €85/t, September 10, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: Climate TRACE. Indicative carbon value, not the cash bill — free allocation applies; not compliance advice.
Capacity vs largest steel plants in Mexico
Listed capacity (t of steel), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).
Operator
Operated by ArcelorMittal México SA de CV.
Local climate
ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant sits in a tropical savanna climate zone (Köppen Aw), at 17.9°N in the northern hemisphere.
Köppen zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.
In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1229 W/m² to ambient — roughly 0.94× the loss at a 20 °C reference. Reference-surface calculation at a 150 °C surface from WorldClim climate normals (ASTM C680 / ISO 12241) — an indicative per-climate comparison, not a measurement of this site’s specific equipment. Open method dataset: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20787408 (CC BY 4.0).
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby sites
The #1 largest of 10 steel plants in Mexico by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).
Location
Coordinates 17.93089, -102.20199. View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of facility is ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant?
ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant is a steel plant in Mexico. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels.
What capacity is listed for ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant?
The open dataset lists 6,500,000 t of steel of capacity for ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant.
How much CO₂ does ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant emit?
The page uses about 5,979,126 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #1 among facilities in Mexico by estimated CO₂.
Where is ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant located?
ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant is in Mexico at approximately 17.93089, -102.20199.
Who operates ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant?
The operator recorded in the open dataset is ArcelorMittal México SA de CV.