Grundartangi aluminium plant — Iceland
Aluminium Smelter in Iceland. Approximate location 64.36337, -21.77266.
Aluminium SmelterIcelandCO₂ estimate (modelled)
Grundartangi aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Iceland. Its listed capacity is 320,000 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 Nordic Aluminum Co. By capacity it ranks #2 among 2 aluminium smelters in Iceland. It emits about 692,077 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE. That is 26% of the CO₂e from the 6 facilities in Iceland that have an emissions figure in IndustryAtlas.
Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673097.
Data status
Known source data
Calculated from the dataset
Not available
Source data, measured cross-checks and calculated values are kept separate. No confidence percentage is invented.
Similar facilities by modelled emissions
- Lapanga aluminium plant · 696,046 t CO₂e/yr · India
- Tulcea Alumina Refinery · 697,580 t CO₂e/yr · Romania
- Xiezhou aluminium plant · 701,296 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Baise Guangxi aluminium plant · 680,044 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Tiwai Point aluminium plant · 707,542 t CO₂e/yr · New Zealand
Same Climate TRACE subsector; closest non-placeholder modelled CO₂e values. Russia and Belarus excluded.
Operating power plants within 50 km
- Andakíl · Hydro · 8 MW · 20 km
- Nesjavellir · Geothermal · 120 MW · 38 km
- Hellisheiði · Geothermal · 202 MW · 40 km
- Steingrímsstöð · Hydro · 26 MW · 44 km
- Ljósafossvirkjun · Hydro · 15 MW · 47 km
PowerAtlas operating assets, ordered by great-circle distance from published coordinates.
In context: how this facility compares
At 320,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Grundartangi aluminium plant is around the median aluminium smelter in Iceland (351,000 t of alumina/aluminum). Subsector: aluminum. As aluminium smelter, it requires high process heat (typically 600–900°C) for its core industrial operations, supplied by boilers, furnaces or direct combustion. 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 692,077 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:
Equivalencies: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies. Emissions: Climate TRACE.
Carbon cost and Scope 1 emissions
At its reported 692k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Grundartangi aluminium plant carries €59.1M/yr of carbon at the full EU ETS price (€85/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.
Measured CO₂: 516k t/yr — verified EUTL (reporting year 2023) (25% below the modelled estimate). Modelled estimate 692k t/yr (Climate TRACE), high-confidence match, cross-checked via the measured-vs-modelled dataset (n=711).
Carbon price: EU ETS €85/t · EU ETS €85/t, September 10, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: measured (EUTL RY2023), cross-checked vs Climate TRACE. Indicative carbon value, not the cash bill — free allocation applies; not compliance advice.
Capacity vs largest aluminium smelters in Iceland
Listed capacity (t of alumina/aluminum), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).
Operator
Operated by Nordic Aluminum Co.
Local climate
Grundartangi aluminium plant sits in a subpolar oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfc), at 64.4°N in the northern hemisphere.
Köppen zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1472 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.13× the loss at a 20 °C reference. 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).
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 aluminium smelters in Iceland by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).
Nearby industrial sites
- Norðurál Grundartangi ehf. · Metals Plant · 469,201 t CO₂
- Elkem Ísland ehf. · Metals Plant
- Rio Tinto á Íslandi hf. · Metals Plant · 292,395 t CO₂
- Straumsvik aluminium plant · Aluminium Smelter · 432,548 t CO₂
Location
Coordinates 64.36337, -21.77266. View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of facility is Grundartangi aluminium plant?
Grundartangi aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in Iceland. 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 Grundartangi aluminium plant?
The open dataset lists 320,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Grundartangi aluminium plant.
How much CO₂ does Grundartangi aluminium plant emit?
The page uses about 692,077 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #2 among facilities in Iceland by estimated CO₂.
Where is Grundartangi aluminium plant located?
Grundartangi aluminium plant is in Iceland at approximately 64.36337, -21.77266.
Who operates Grundartangi aluminium plant?
The operator recorded in the open dataset is Nordic Aluminum Co.