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Hautes-Pyrénées Department

Aluminium Smelter in France. Approximate location 43.05284, 0.16374.

Aluminium SmelterFranceCO₂ reported

Hautes-Pyrénées Department is an aluminium smelter in France with a reported capacity of 1,535 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. By capacity it ranks #6 among 7 aluminium smelters in France. It emits about 2,173 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 507 passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 32% below the national median for this sector.

1,535t of alumina/aluminum
2,173t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#116CO₂ rank in France
1.42t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673060.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityHautes-Pyrénées Department Climate TRACE
CountryFrance Climate TRACE
Coordinates43.05284, 0.16374 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoraluminum Climate TRACE
Reported capacity1,535 t of alumina/aluminum Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e2,173 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

France rank#116 of 117 · top 99.1% calculated
Global aluminum rank#254 of 257 · top 98.8% calculated
Climate contextderived from coordinates calculated

Not available

Owner / operatorNot available not in dataset
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 1,535 t of alumina/aluminum, Hautes-Pyrénées Department is below 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 2,173 t CO₂e a year looks like

This facility's reported annual CO₂e in everyday equivalents from the US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator:

507cars driven for a year
283homes' annual energy use
36ktree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 2k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Hautes-Pyrénées Department carries €173k/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 ≈43 t–109 t/yr, worth €3k€9k, with payback up to 2 years.

2k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€173k/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
43 t–109 t/yr ≈ €3k€9kDecarbonization 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…

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

Local climate

Hautes-Pyrénées Department sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 43.1°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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
29/100environmental-severity index
16.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
138 kmdistance to coast
ModerateCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1437 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.10× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1365 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 #6 largest of 7 aluminium smelters in France by reported capacity.

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 43.05284, 0.16374. 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 °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 Hautes-Pyrénées Department?

Hautes-Pyrénées Department 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 reported for Hautes-Pyrénées Department?

The open dataset reports 1,535 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Hautes-Pyrénées Department.

How much CO₂ does Hautes-Pyrénées Department emit?

The page uses about 2,173 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #116 among facilities in France by reported CO₂.

Where is Hautes-Pyrénées Department located?

Hautes-Pyrénées Department is in France at approximately 43.05284, 0.16374.

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