Kitimat aluminium plant — Canada
Aluminium Smelter in Canada. Approximate location 54.0126, -128.70037.
Aluminium SmelterCanadaCO₂ estimate (modelled)
Kitimat aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Canada. Its listed capacity is 435,000 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 Rio Tinto Ltd. By capacity it ranks #4 among 11 aluminium smelters in Canada. It emits about 924,435 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE. That is 1.3% of the CO₂e from the 127 facilities in Canada that have an emissions figure in IndustryAtlas.
Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3672960.
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
- Datong Xian, Qinghai aluminium plant · 926,560 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Jiaozuo Shi, Henan aluminium plant · 935,061 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Lanzhou, Gansu aluminium plant · 913,809 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Yingkou Zhongwang aluminium plant · 913,809 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Guanyuan Aostar aluminium plant · 892,558 t CO₂e/yr · China
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 435,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Kitimat aluminium plant is well above the median aluminium smelter in Canada (314,000 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 924,435 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 924k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Kitimat aluminium plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 924k t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €69.7M/yr of exposure on EU-bound exports. CBAM share rises from 2.5% (2026) to 100% by 2034. 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).
Carbon price: EU CBAM €75/t · EU ETS €85/t, September 10, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: Climate TRACE. Indicative carbon value, not the cash bill — free allocation applies; not compliance advice.
Capacity vs largest aluminium smelters in Canada
Listed capacity (t of alumina/aluminum), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).
Operator
Operated by Rio Tinto Ltd. All facilities by this operator →
Local climate
Kitimat aluminium plant sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfb), at 54.0°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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1462 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.12× 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 #4 largest of 11 aluminium smelters in Canada by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).
Location
Coordinates 54.0126, -128.70037. View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of facility is Kitimat aluminium plant?
Kitimat aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in Canada. 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 Kitimat aluminium plant?
The open dataset lists 435,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Kitimat aluminium plant.
How much CO₂ does Kitimat aluminium plant emit?
The page uses about 924,435 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #23 among facilities in Canada by estimated CO₂.
Where is Kitimat aluminium plant located?
Kitimat aluminium plant is in Canada at approximately 54.0126, -128.70037.
Who operates Kitimat aluminium plant?
The operator recorded in the open dataset is Rio Tinto Ltd.