Home / United States / Chemical plants / Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex

Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex

Chemical Plant in United States. Approximate location 30.08708, -90.95243.

Chemical PlantUnited StatesCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex is a chemical plant in United States. Its listed capacity is 3,932,650 t of chemical. Chemical plants produce a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals, many requiring precise temperature control and sustained heat input for reactions and separations. It is operated by CF Industries Inc. By capacity it ranks #3 among 25 chemical plants in United States. It emits about 5,663,868 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 1.3 million passenger cars.

3,932,650t of chemical
5,663,868t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#9CO₂ rank in United States
1.44t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-45257072.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityDonaldsonville Nitrogen Complex Climate TRACE
CountryUnited States Climate TRACE
Coordinates30.08708, -90.95243 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorchemicals Climate TRACE
Reported capacity3,932,650 t of chemical Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorCF Industries Inc Climate TRACE
EPA parent companyCF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS INC US EPA GHGRP
EPA NAICS325311 US EPA GHGRP
TRI facility recordCF INDUSTRIES NITROGEN LLC US EPA TRI
TRI parent companyCF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS INC US EPA TRI
TRI NAICS325311 US EPA TRI
TRI reported chemicalsAmmonia, Chlorine, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Cobalt And Cobalt Compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds, Formaldehyde… US EPA TRI
TRI on-site releases9,713,445 lb/yr US EPA TRI
Modelled CO₂e5,663,868 t/yr Climate TRACE
Measured CO₂ cross-check7,752,762 t/yr measured cross-check · GHGRP 2023

Calculated from the dataset

United States rank#9 of 1910 · top 0.5% calculated
Global chemicals rank#14 of 393 · top 3.6% 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 3,932,650 t of chemical, Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex is well above the median chemical plant in United States (447,240 t of chemical). Subsector: chemicals. As chemical plant, it requires high process heat (typically 100–500°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. Chemical plants produce a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals, many requiring precise temperature control and sustained heat input for reactions and separations.

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

What 5,663,868 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:

1.3 millioncars driven for a year
739khomes' annual energy use
94 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 5.7M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex carries no domestic carbon price; chemical plants are not a CBAM-covered good, so there is no border-carbon liability. At the EU ETS reference price (€75/t) the emissions carry an indicative carbon value of €427M/yr. 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 ≈113k t–283k t/yr, worth €8.5M€21.3M, 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).

Measured CO₂: 7.8M t/yr — verified GHGRP (reporting year 2023) (37% above the modelled estimate). Modelled estimate 5.7M t/yr (Climate TRACE), high-confidence match, cross-checked via the measured-vs-modelled dataset (n=711).

5.7M t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€427M/yrindicative carbon value (not a CBAM liability)
113k t–283k t/yr ≈ €8.5M€21.3MDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU CBAM €75/t · EU ETS €79/t, July 2, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: measured (GHGRP RY2023), cross-checked vs 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 chemical plants in United States

United States: 13,733,340 t of chemical13.7MUnited Sta…Geismar Methanol Terminal: 4,000,000 t of chemical4.0MGeismar Me…Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex: 3,932,650 t of chemical3.9MDonaldsonv…Coffeyville Nitrogen Fertilizer facility: 1,026,480 t of chemical1.0MCoffeyvill…Verdigris Fertilizers Ammonia Facility: 997,900 t of chemical998kVerdigris …Enid Nitrogenous Fertilizers: 920,790 t of chemical921kEnid Nitro…Beaumont Methanol and Ammonia: 910,000 t of chemical910kBeaumont M…Beaumont Methanol: 910,000 t of chemical910kBeaumont M…

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

Operator

Operated by CF Industries Inc. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex sits in a humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa), at 30.1°N in the northern hemisphere.

~18°Ctypical annual mean
~27°Ctypical warm-season
Humid subtropical: 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
43/100environmental-severity index
17.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
91 kmdistance to coast
HighCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1302 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.00× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1237 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 #3 largest of 25 chemical plants in United States by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 30.08708, -90.95243. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a chemical plant, the main modular-insulation targets are reactors, crackers, distillation columns, heat exchangers, steam lines, valves & flanges. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 150–500 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 30,000 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 6,000 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 Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex?

Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex is a chemical plant in United States. Chemical plants produce a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals, many requiring precise temperature control and sustained heat input for reactions and separations.

What capacity is listed for Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex?

The open dataset lists 3,932,650 t of chemical of capacity for Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex.

How much CO₂ does Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex emit?

The page uses about 5,663,868 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #9 among facilities in United States by estimated CO₂.

Where is Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex located?

Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex is in United States at approximately 30.08708, -90.95243.

Who operates Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is CF Industries Inc.

Built from open public data; no personal information. Operate this site? Request a correction or removal.