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AZA Colina steel plant

Steel Plant in Chile. Approximate location -33.29473, -70.72814.

Steel PlantChileCO₂ estimate (modelled)

AZA Colina steel plant is a steel plant in Chile. Its listed capacity is 520,000 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 Aceros AZA SA. By capacity it ranks #2 among 2 steel plants in Chile. It emits about 25,308 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 5.9k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 95% below the national median for this sector.

520,000t of steel
25,308t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#18CO₂ rank in Chile
0.05t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-1566478.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityAZA Colina steel plant Climate TRACE
CountryChile Climate TRACE
Coordinates-33.29473, -70.72814 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoriron-and-steel Climate TRACE
Reported capacity520,000 t of steel Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorAceros AZA SA Climate TRACE
GEM steel parentIngenieria e Inversiones Ltda [45.0%]; Matco Cables [45.0%]; inversiones Reyosan [5.0%]; Los Andes S.A. de Inversiones [5.0%] Global Energy Monitor
Steel process routeelectric Global Energy Monitor
Steel asset statusoperating Global Energy Monitor
Steel equipmentEAF Global Energy Monitor
Steel capacity520 ktpa Global Energy Monitor
Modelled CO₂e25,308 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Chile rank#18 of 20 · top 90.0% calculated
Global iron-and-steel rank#853 of 868 · top 98.3% calculated
Climate contextderived from coordinates calculated

Not available

Fuel typeNot available not in dataset
Thermal capacity (MW)Not available not in dataset

Source data, measured cross-checks and calculated values are kept separate. No confidence percentage is invented.

Similar facilities by modelled emissions

Same Climate TRACE subsector; closest non-placeholder modelled CO₂e values. Russia and Belarus excluded.

Operating power plants within 50 km

PowerAtlas operating assets, ordered by great-circle distance from published coordinates.

In context: how this facility compares

At 520,000 t of steel, AZA Colina steel plant is below the median steel plant in Chile (1,085,519 t of steel). Subsector: iron-and-steel. As steel plant, it requires high process heat (typically 800–1500°C) for its core industrial operations — heat that must be supplied by boilers, furnaces or direct combustion, and losses through uninsulated vessels and piping represent wasted fuel. Removable modular insulation can cut those losses by 80–96%, surface-cooling equipment to ≤45°C, with payback often under 2 years. 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 25,308 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:

5.9kcars driven for a year
3.3khomes' annual energy use
422ktree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 25k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), AZA Colina steel plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 25k t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €1.9M/yr of exposure on EU-bound exports. CBAM share rises from 2.5% (2026) to 100% by 2034. The fastest decarbonization lever is energy efficiency: eliminating heat loss on hot equipment (removable insulation, steam & waste-heat recovery) typically cuts 2–5% of fuel-related CO₂ — here ≈506 t–1k t/yr, worth €38k€95k, with payback up to 2 years. 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).

25k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€1.9M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
506 t–1k t/yr ≈ €38k€95kDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU CBAM €75/t · EU ETS €79/t, July 2, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: Climate TRACE. Efficiency range: US DOE / ASTM C680 (method). Indicative carbon value, not the cash bill — free allocation applies; not compliance advice. Estimate the saving for this site →

Capacity vs largest steel plants in Chile

CAP Acero Huachipato steel plant: 1,085,519 t of steel1.1MCAP Acero …AZA Colina steel plant: 520,000 t of steel520kAZA Colina…

Listed capacity (t of steel), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).

Operator

Operated by Aceros AZA SA.

Local climate

AZA Colina steel plant sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate zone (Köppen Csb), at 33.3°S in the southern hemisphere.

~14°Ctypical annual mean
~21°Ctypical warm-season
Warm-summer mediterranean: hot summers and mild winters

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

Site climate & environmental severity

The local climate sets how fast unprotected steel, protective coatings and the insulation on hot process equipment degrade at this site. It sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
13.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
95 kmdistance to coast
ModerateCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1350 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.04× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1282 W/m² of that. 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).

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 #2 largest of 2 steel plants in Chile by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates -33.29473, -70.72814. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a steel plant, the main modular-insulation targets are reheat & annealing furnaces, ladles, hot-blast stoves, steam & gas ducting. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 200–1,200 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 3,600 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 1,200 t CO₂e/year of avoided emissions. Screening estimate scaled from installed process-heat projects and surface-temperature reduction data.

See Inzonex Modular Insulation → Run the calculator →

Screening calculation from facility class, capacity and open emissions/energy context. Engineering survey required before procurement.

Safety & the no-regret first step

Start with a thermal survey of valves, flanges, doors and bends. Removable modular insulation keeps maintenance access open while lowering exposed-surface temperature and wasted heat.

External climate finance your country can access

For energy-efficiency projects around process heat, likely external funding channels include:

CBAM. Exporters of cement, steel, aluminium, fertiliser, hydrogen and electricity to the EU face the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — cutting embedded emissions (efficiency + insulation) lowers the levy.

Sources: country climate-finance facilities and public development-bank programmes.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is AZA Colina steel plant?

AZA Colina steel plant is a steel plant in Chile. 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 AZA Colina steel plant?

The open dataset lists 520,000 t of steel of capacity for AZA Colina steel plant.

How much CO₂ does AZA Colina steel plant emit?

The page uses about 25,308 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #18 among facilities in Chile by estimated CO₂.

Where is AZA Colina steel plant located?

AZA Colina steel plant is in Chile at approximately -33.29473, -70.72814.

Who operates AZA Colina steel plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Aceros AZA SA.

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