Aughinish Alumina Refinery — Ireland
Aluminium Smelter in Ireland. Approximate location 52.61855, -9.07764.
Aluminium SmelterIrelandCO₂ estimate (modelled)
Aughinish Alumina Refinery is an aluminium smelter in Ireland. Aluminium smelters use large electric currents to refine alumina into molten aluminium above 900°C, and the hot metal must flow through crucibles and casting equipment. It is operated by United Company RUSAL PJSC. It emits about 2,325,266 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE. That is 46% of the CO₂e from the 8 facilities in Ireland that have an emissions figure in IndustryAtlas.
Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-43764957.
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
- Shandong Xinfa aluminium plant · 2,443,909 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Jebel Ali aluminium plant · 2,465,160 t CO₂e/yr · United Arab Emirates
- Jinzhong Prefecture City · 2,476,239 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Nongbashi aluminium plant · 2,167,641 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Shihezi, Xinjiang aluminium plant · 2,550,166 t CO₂e/yr · China
Same Climate TRACE subsector; closest non-placeholder modelled CO₂e values. Russia and Belarus excluded.
Operating power plants within 50 km
- Sealrock (Aughinish CHP) · Gas · 170 MW · 2 km
- Moneypoint power station · Coal · 915 MW · 23 km
- Ardnacrusha · Hydro · 85 MW · 33 km
- Knockacummer 1 · Wind · 87 MW · 39 km
- Cloghboola · Wind · 46 MW · 40 km
PowerAtlas operating assets, ordered by great-circle distance from published coordinates.
In context: how this facility compares
Subsector: aluminum. As aluminium smelter, it requires high process heat (typically 600–900°C) for its core industrial operations, supplied by boilers, furnaces or direct combustion. Aluminium smelters use large electric currents to refine alumina into molten aluminium above 900°C, and the hot metal must flow through crucibles and casting equipment.
Capacity & CO₂-intensity comparison computed from Climate TRACE industrial facilities data; sector role based on engineering reference.
What 2,325,266 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 2.3M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Aughinish Alumina Refinery carries €198M/yr of carbon at the full EU ETS price (€85/t CO₂). Free allocation phases out to 2034 (Reg. (EU) 2023/956), so today's bill is lower and rising toward this full-price figure.
Carbon price: EU ETS €85/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.
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).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1396 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× 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
Nearby industrial sites
- Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland Limited · Food & Beverage
- 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
- Kerry Ingredients (Ireland) Limited (Charleville) · Food & Beverage
- Tipperary Co-Operative Creamery Limited · Food & Beverage
Location
Coordinates 52.61855, -9.07764. View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of facility is Aughinish Alumina Refinery?
Aughinish Alumina Refinery is a aluminium smelter in Ireland. Aluminium smelters use large electric currents to refine alumina into molten aluminium above 900°C, and the hot metal must flow through crucibles and casting equipment.
How much CO₂ does Aughinish Alumina Refinery emit?
The page uses about 2,325,266 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #1 among facilities in Ireland by estimated CO₂.
Where is Aughinish Alumina Refinery located?
Aughinish Alumina Refinery is in Ireland at approximately 52.61855, -9.07764.
Who operates Aughinish Alumina Refinery?
The operator recorded in the open dataset is United Company RUSAL PJSC.