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Massena aluminium plant

Aluminium Smelter in United States. Approximate location 44.96198, -74.89016.

Aluminium SmelterUnited StatesCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Massena aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in United States. Its listed capacity is 130,000 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 Alcoa Corp. By capacity it ranks #6 among 8 aluminium smelters in United States. It emits about 276,268 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 64k passenger cars.

130,000t of alumina/aluminum
276,268t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#384CO₂ rank in United States
2.13t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673145.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityMassena aluminium plant Climate TRACE
CountryUnited States Climate TRACE
Coordinates44.96198, -74.89016 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoraluminum Climate TRACE
Reported capacity130,000 t of alumina/aluminum Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorAlcoa Corp Climate TRACE
EPA parent companyALCOA CORP US EPA GHGRP
EPA NAICS331313 US EPA GHGRP
TRI facility recordALCOA USA CORP. US EPA TRI
TRI parent companyALCOA CORP US EPA TRI
TRI NAICS331313 US EPA TRI
TRI reported chemicalsBenzo[g,h,i]perylene, Carbonyl sulfide, Chromium, Copper, Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, Hydrogen fluoride… US EPA TRI
TRI on-site releases570,566 lb/yr US EPA TRI
Modelled CO₂e276,268 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

United States rank#384 of 1910 · top 20.1% calculated
Global aluminum rank#187 of 257 · top 72.8% 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 130,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Massena aluminium plant is below the median aluminium smelter in United States (187,000 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 276,268 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:

64kcars driven for a year
36khomes' annual energy use
4.6 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 276k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Massena aluminium plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 276k t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €20.8M/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 ≈6k t–14k t/yr, worth €416k€1.0M, 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).

276k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€20.8M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
6k t–14k t/yr ≈ €416k€1.0MDecarbonization 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 aluminium smelters in United States

Saint James Parish: 741,301 t of alumina/aluminum741kSaint Jame…Hawesville aluminium plant: 250,000 t of alumina/aluminum250kHawesville…Sebree aluminium plant: 220,000 t of alumina/aluminum220kSebree alu…New Madrid aluminium plant: 187,000 t of alumina/aluminum187kNew Madrid…Mount Holly aluminium plant: 184,000 t of alumina/aluminum184kMount Holl…Massena aluminium plant: 130,000 t of alumina/aluminum130kMassena al…Evansville aluminium plant: 107,000 t of alumina/aluminum107kEvansville…Henderson County: 711 t of alumina/aluminum711Henderson …

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

Operator

Operated by Alcoa Corp. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Massena aluminium plant sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfb), at 45.0°N in the northern hemisphere.

~6°Ctypical annual mean
~19°Ctypical warm-season
Warm-summer humid continental: 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
30.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
485 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1436 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.10× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1364 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 8 aluminium smelters in United States by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 44.96198, -74.89016. 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.

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 1,900 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 390 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 Massena aluminium plant?

Massena aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in United States. 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 Massena aluminium plant?

The open dataset lists 130,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Massena aluminium plant.

How much CO₂ does Massena aluminium plant emit?

The page uses about 276,268 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #384 among facilities in United States by estimated CO₂.

Where is Massena aluminium plant located?

Massena aluminium plant is in United States at approximately 44.96198, -74.89016.

Who operates Massena aluminium plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Alcoa Corp.

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