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Beyrede Alumina Refinery

Aluminium Smelter in France. Approximate location 42.95553, 0.37917.

Aluminium SmelterFranceCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Beyrede Alumina Refinery is an aluminium smelter in France. Its listed capacity is 28,000 t of alumina/aluminum. 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 Imerys SA. By capacity it ranks #4 among 7 aluminium smelters in France. It emits about 32,554 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 7.6k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 44% below the national median for this sector.

28,000t of alumina/aluminum
32,554t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#108CO₂ rank in France
1.16t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-43764965.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityBeyrede Alumina Refinery Climate TRACE
CountryFrance Climate TRACE
Coordinates42.95553, 0.37917 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoraluminum Climate TRACE
Reported capacity28,000 t of alumina/aluminum Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorImerys SA Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e32,554 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

France rank#108 of 117 · top 92.3% calculated
Global aluminum rank#243 of 257 · top 94.6% 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 28,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Beyrede Alumina Refinery is around the median aluminium smelter in France (28,000 t of alumina/aluminum). Subsector: aluminum. As aluminium smelter, it requires high process heat (typically 600–900°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. 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 32,554 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:

7.6kcars driven for a year
4.2khomes' annual energy use
543ktree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 33k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Beyrede Alumina Refinery carries €2.6M/yr of carbon at the full EU ETS price (€79/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. 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 ≈651 t–2k t/yr, worth €52k€129k, with payback up to 2 years.

33k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€2.6M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
651 t–2k t/yr ≈ €52k€129kDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU ETS €79/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 aluminium smelters in France

Dunkerque aluminium plant: 285,000 t of alumina/aluminum285kDunkerque …St. Jean de Maurienne aluminium plant: 150,000 t of alumina/aluminum150kSt. Jean d…Bouches-du-Rhône Department: 33,254 t of alumina/aluminum33kBouches-du…Beyrede Alumina Refinery: 28,000 t of alumina/aluminum28kBeyrede Al…Savoie Department: 1,739 t of alumina/aluminum2kSavoie Dep…Hautes-Pyrénées Department: 1,535 t of alumina/aluminum2kHautes-Pyr…Haute-Savoie Department: 1,023 t of alumina/aluminum1kHaute-Savo…

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

Operator

Operated by Imerys SA.

Local climate

Beyrede Alumina Refinery sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 43.0°N in the northern hemisphere.

~11°Ctypical annual mean
~18°Ctypical warm-season
Temperate oceanic: four distinct seasons — cold winters and warm summers

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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
25/100environmental-severity index
15.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
202 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1416 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.09× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1345 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 #4 largest of 7 aluminium smelters in France by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 42.95553, 0.37917. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a aluminium smelter, the main modular-insulation targets are alumina calciner, casthouse furnaces, hot ducting (electrolysis itself is electric). Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 150–1,000 °C.

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

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 1,800 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 360 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.

France: funding & obligation

Funding. Energy-savings certificate premiums for efficiency works; 6th period from 1 Jan 2026 (+35% obligation, 1050 TWhc/yr). official source · verified 2026

Obligation. Now CONSUMPTION-based: if avg annual final energy >2.75 GWh over 3 yrs, mandatory regulatory energy audit; first audit for newly-covered sites by 11 Oct 2026. (applies as a rule above the stated threshold — we do not hold this site's metered energy use). official source · verified 2026

Programme terms verified 2026-06-18; confirm the current open phase before applying. Eligibility depends on a site's energy use / headcount, which we do not hold — not a per-facility eligibility determination.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Beyrede Alumina Refinery?

Beyrede Alumina Refinery is a aluminium smelter in France. 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.

What capacity is listed for Beyrede Alumina Refinery?

The open dataset lists 28,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Beyrede Alumina Refinery.

How much CO₂ does Beyrede Alumina Refinery emit?

The page uses about 32,554 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #108 among facilities in France by estimated CO₂.

Where is Beyrede Alumina Refinery located?

Beyrede Alumina Refinery is in France at approximately 42.95553, 0.37917.

Who operates Beyrede Alumina Refinery?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Imerys SA.

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