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Balbala Cement Plant

Cement Plant in Djibouti. Approximate location 11.54373, 43.0594.

Cement PlantDjiboutiCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Balbala Cement Plant is a cement plant in Djibouti. Its listed capacity is 220,000 t of cement. Cement plants heat limestone to 1,400°C in rotary kilns — one of the hottest industrial processes — and must control temperature precisely across the entire kiln length. It is operated by Nael Cement Product Factory. By capacity it ranks #2 among 2 cement plants in Djibouti. It emits about 112,123 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 26k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 41% above the national median for this sector.

220,000t of cement
112,123t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#2CO₂ rank in Djibouti
0.51t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-42547330.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityBalbala Cement Plant Climate TRACE
CountryDjibouti Climate TRACE
Coordinates11.54373, 43.0594 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorcement Climate TRACE
Reported capacity220,000 t of cement Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorNael Cement Product Factory Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e112,123 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Djibouti rank#2 of 2 · top 100.0% calculated
Global cement rank#2008 of 2113 · top 95.0% 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 220,000 t of cement, Balbala Cement Plant is around the median cement plant in Djibouti (240,000 t of cement). Subsector: cement. As cement plant, it requires high process heat (typically 800–1400°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. Cement plants heat limestone to 1,400°C in rotary kilns — one of the hottest industrial processes — and must control temperature precisely across the entire kiln length.

Capacity & CO₂-intensity comparison computed from Climate TRACE industrial facilities data; sector role based on engineering reference.

What 112,123 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:

26kcars driven for a year
15khomes' annual energy use
1.9 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 112k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Balbala Cement Plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 112k t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €8.4M/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 ≈2k t–6k t/yr, worth €169k€422k, 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).

112k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€8.4M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
2k t–6k t/yr ≈ €169k€422kDecarbonization 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 cement plants in Djibouti

Ali Sabieh Cement Plant: 240,000 t of cement240kAli Sabieh…Balbala Cement Plant: 220,000 t of cement220kBalbala Ce…

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

Operator

Operated by Nael Cement Product Factory.

Local climate

Balbala Cement Plant sits in a hot desert climate zone (Köppen BWh), at 11.5°N in the northern hemisphere.

~24°Ctypical annual mean
~34°Ctypical warm-season
Hot desert: warm all year, with distinct wet and dry seasons

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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
64/100environmental-severity index
11.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
30 kmdistance to coast
Very highCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1202 W/m² to ambient — roughly 0.93× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1142 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 cement plants in Djibouti by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 11.54373, 43.0594. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a cement plant, the main modular-insulation targets are rotary kiln shell, preheater tower, tertiary air duct & kiln hood, clinker-cooler ducts, valves. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 200–1,000 °C.

60% of cement CO2 is process calcination - NOT insulation-addressable; energy here is the fuel side only.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 8,000 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 2,700 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:

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

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Balbala Cement Plant?

Balbala Cement Plant is a cement plant in Djibouti. Cement plants heat limestone to 1,400°C in rotary kilns — one of the hottest industrial processes — and must control temperature precisely across the entire kiln length.

What capacity is listed for Balbala Cement Plant?

The open dataset lists 220,000 t of cement of capacity for Balbala Cement Plant.

How much CO₂ does Balbala Cement Plant emit?

The page uses about 112,123 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #2 among facilities in Djibouti by estimated CO₂.

Where is Balbala Cement Plant located?

Balbala Cement Plant is in Djibouti at approximately 11.54373, 43.0594.

Who operates Balbala Cement Plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Nael Cement Product Factory.

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