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Megasider Zaragoza steel plant

Steel Plant in Spain. Approximate location 41.57042, -0.85613.

Steel PlantSpainCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Megasider Zaragoza steel plant is a steel plant in Spain. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels. It is operated by Megasider Zaragoza SA. It emits about 50,114 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 12k passenger cars.

500kt steel/yr (Global Energy Monitor)
50,114t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#86CO₂ rank in Spain

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-1566810.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityMegasider Zaragoza steel plant Climate TRACE
CountrySpain Climate TRACE
Coordinates41.57042, -0.85613 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoriron-and-steel Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorMegasider Zaragoza SA Climate TRACE
GEM steel parentMetalurgica Galaica SA [100.0%] Global Energy Monitor
Steel process routeelectric Global Energy Monitor
Steel asset statusoperating Global Energy Monitor
Steel equipmentEAF Global Energy Monitor
Steel capacity500 ktpa Global Energy Monitor
Modelled CO₂e50,114 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Spain rank#86 of 91 · top 94.5% calculated
Global iron-and-steel rank#769 of 868 · top 88.6% 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

Subsector: iron-and-steel. As steel plant, it requires high process heat (typically 800–1500°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. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels.

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

What 50,114 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:

12kcars driven for a year
6.5khomes' annual energy use
835ktree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 50k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Megasider Zaragoza steel plant carries €4.0M/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 ≈1k t–3k t/yr, worth €80k€199k, with payback up to 2 years.

50k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€4.0M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
1k t–3k t/yr ≈ €80k€199kDecarbonization 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 →

Operator

Operated by Megasider Zaragoza SA.

Local climate

Megasider Zaragoza steel plant sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate zone (Köppen BSk), at 41.6°N in the northern hemisphere.

~10°Ctypical annual mean
~23°Ctypical warm-season
Cold semi-arid steppe: 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
18.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
162 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1367 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.05× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1299 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

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 41.57042, -0.85613. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a steel plant, the main modular-insulation targets are reheat & annealing furnaces, ladles, hot-blast stoves, steam & gas ducting. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 200–1,200 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 3,600 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 1,200 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.

EU policy pressure on this sector

Obligation

This facility is inside the EU. For thermal equipment, insulation upgrades can support ETS exposure reduction and energy-efficiency compliance.

Sources: EU ETS, CBAM and national energy-efficiency schemes.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Megasider Zaragoza steel plant?

Megasider Zaragoza steel plant is a steel plant in Spain. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels.

How much CO₂ does Megasider Zaragoza steel plant emit?

The page uses about 50,114 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #86 among facilities in Spain by estimated CO₂.

Where is Megasider Zaragoza steel plant located?

Megasider Zaragoza steel plant is in Spain at approximately 41.57042, -0.85613.

Who operates Megasider Zaragoza steel plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Megasider Zaragoza SA.

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