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Neuss aluminium plant

Aluminium Smelter in Germany. Approximate location 51.1494, 6.78143.

Aluminium SmelterGermanyCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Neuss aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Germany. Its listed capacity is 150,000 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 Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH. By capacity it ranks #1 among 5 aluminium smelters in Germany. It emits about 298,613 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 70k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 5% below the national median for this sector.

150,000t of alumina/aluminum
298,613t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#53CO₂ rank in Germany
1.99t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673049.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityNeuss aluminium plant Climate TRACE
CountryGermany Climate TRACE
Coordinates51.1494, 6.78143 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoraluminum Climate TRACE
Reported capacity150,000 t of alumina/aluminum Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorHydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e298,613 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Germany rank#53 of 118 · top 44.9% calculated
Global aluminum rank#181 of 257 · top 70.4% 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 150,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Neuss aluminium plant is well above the median aluminium smelter in Germany (67,000 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 298,613 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:

70kcars driven for a year
39khomes' annual energy use
5.0 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 299k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Neuss aluminium plant carries €23.7M/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 ≈6k t–15k t/yr, worth €475k€1.2M, with payback up to 2 years.

299k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€23.7M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
6k t–15k t/yr ≈ €475k€1.2MDecarbonization 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 Germany

Neuss aluminium plant: 150,000 t of alumina/aluminum150kNeuss alum…Essen aluminium plant: 85,000 t of alumina/aluminum85kEssen alum…Hamburg aluminium plant: 67,000 t of alumina/aluminum67kHamburg al…Stade District: 55,253 t of alumina/aluminum55kStade Dist…Voerde aluminium plant: 48,000 t of alumina/aluminum48kVoerde alu…

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

Operator

Operated by Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH.

Local climate

Neuss aluminium plant sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 51.1°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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
25/100environmental-severity index
15.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
195 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1393 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1323 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 #1 largest of 5 aluminium smelters in Germany by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 51.1494, 6.78143. 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.

Germany: funding & obligation

Funding. Grant 20-60% depending on module and company size; Modul 4 = energy/resource optimization of plants & processes (insulation fits). Foerderwettbewerb round budget ~EUR 60M. official source · verified 2026

Obligation. Mandatory energy audit if avg final energy 2.77-23.6 GWh/yr; certified EnMS/EMS if >23.6 GWh/yr; implementation plans for economically viable measures within 3 months of audit. (applies as a rule above the stated threshold — we do not hold this site's metered energy use). official source · verified 2026
Status: Thresholds are an April-2026 DRAFT amendment (previously 7.5 GWh EnMS) — confirm enacted before publishing.

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 Neuss aluminium plant?

Neuss aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in Germany. 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 Neuss aluminium plant?

The open dataset lists 150,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Neuss aluminium plant.

How much CO₂ does Neuss aluminium plant emit?

The page uses about 298,613 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #53 among facilities in Germany by estimated CO₂.

Where is Neuss aluminium plant located?

Neuss aluminium plant is in Germany at approximately 51.1494, 6.78143.

Who operates Neuss aluminium plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH.

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