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Chattanooga Cement Plant

Cement Plant in United States. Approximate location 35.1013, -85.3443.

Cement PlantUnited StatesCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Chattanooga Cement Plant is a cement plant in United States. Its listed capacity is 820,000 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 Buzzi Unicem USA Inc. By capacity it ranks #22 among 32 cement plants in United States. It emits about 170,608 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 40k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 43% below the national median for this sector.

820,000t of cement
170,608t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#486CO₂ rank in United States
0.21t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-32439254.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityChattanooga Cement Plant Climate TRACE
CountryUnited States Climate TRACE
Coordinates35.1013, -85.3443 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorcement Climate TRACE
Reported capacity820,000 t of cement Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorBuzzi Unicem USA Inc Climate TRACE
EPA parent companyRC LONESTAR INC US EPA GHGRP
EPA NAICS327310 US EPA GHGRP
TRI facility recordSIGNAL MOUNTAIN CEMENT CO DBA BUZZI UNICEM USA US EPA TRI
TRI parent companyBUZZI UNICEM USA INC US EPA TRI
TRI NAICS327310 US EPA TRI
TRI reported chemicalsChromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, Ethylene glycol, Lead And Lead Compounds, Manganese compounds, Mercury And Mercury Compounds US EPA TRI
TRI on-site releases500 lb/yr US EPA TRI
Modelled CO₂e170,608 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

United States rank#486 of 1910 · top 25.4% calculated
Global cement rank#1904 of 2113 · top 90.1% 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 820,000 t of cement, Chattanooga Cement Plant is below the median cement plant in United States (1,180,000 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 170,608 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:

40kcars driven for a year
22khomes' annual energy use
2.8 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 171k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Chattanooga Cement Plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 171k t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €12.9M/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 ≈3k t–9k t/yr, worth €257k€643k, 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).

171k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€12.9M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
3k t–9k t/yr ≈ €257k€643kDecarbonization 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 United States

Ste. Genevieve Cement Plant: 4,500,000 t of cement4.5MSte. Genev…Heidelberg Union Bridge Cement Plant: 2,816,901 t of cement2.8MHeidelberg…Festus Cement Plant: 2,700,000 t of cement2.7MFestus Cem…Heidelberg Nazareth Cement Plant: 2,663,380 t of cement2.7MHeidelberg…Heidelberg Mitchell Cement Plant: 2,400,000 t of cement2.4MHeidelberg…Alpena Cement Plant: 2,400,000 t of cement2.4MAlpena Cem…Midlothian Cement Plant: 2,350,000 t of cement2.3MMidlothian…Heidelberg Fleetwood Cement Plant: 2,221,127 t of cement2.2MHeidelberg…

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

Operator

Operated by Buzzi Unicem USA Inc. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Chattanooga Cement Plant sits in a humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa), at 35.1°N in the northern hemisphere.

~18°Ctypical annual mean
~27°Ctypical warm-season
Humid subtropical: 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
22.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
525 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 #22 largest of 32 cement plants in United States by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 35.1013, -85.3443. 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.

United States: funding & obligation

Funding. Investment tax credit up to 30% of qualified investment incl. industrial decarbonization; open to small/medium/large manufacturers. official source · verified 2026
Status: ~$6B of $10B allocated Jan-2025; remaining capacity + IRA status under political review — verify before 'apply now'.

Obligation. None at federal level (voluntary). Some states have their own programs. (applies as a rule above the stated threshold — we do not hold this site's metered energy use). · 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 Chattanooga Cement Plant?

Chattanooga Cement Plant is a cement plant in United States. 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 Chattanooga Cement Plant?

The open dataset lists 820,000 t of cement of capacity for Chattanooga Cement Plant.

How much CO₂ does Chattanooga Cement Plant emit?

The page uses about 170,608 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #486 among facilities in United States by estimated CO₂.

Where is Chattanooga Cement Plant located?

Chattanooga Cement Plant is in United States at approximately 35.1013, -85.3443.

Who operates Chattanooga Cement Plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Buzzi Unicem USA Inc.

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