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Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant

Steel Plant in Germany. Approximate location 49.24413, 6.85323.

Steel PlantGermanyCO₂ reported

Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant is a steel plant in Germany with a reported capacity of 3,240,000 t of steel. 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 Saarstahl AG. By capacity it ranks #5 among 11 steel plants in Germany. It emits about 3,564,187 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 831k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 19% above the national median for this sector.

3,240,000t of steel
3,564,187t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#8CO₂ rank in Germany
1.10t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-1566782.

Data status

Known source data

FacilitySaarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant Climate TRACE
CountryGermany Climate TRACE
Coordinates49.24413, 6.85323 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoriron-and-steel Climate TRACE
Reported capacity3,240,000 t of steel Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorSaarstahl AG Climate TRACE
GEM steel parentSHS Stahl Holding Saar GmbH & Co KgaA [100.0%] Global Energy Monitor
Steel process routeoxygen Global Energy Monitor
Steel asset statusoperating pre-retirement Global Energy Monitor
Steel equipmentBOF Global Energy Monitor
Steel capacity3,240 ktpa Global Energy Monitor
Modelled CO₂e3,564,187 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Germany rank#8 of 118 · top 6.8% calculated
Global iron-and-steel rank#227 of 868 · top 26.2% 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 3,240,000 t of steel, Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant is around the median steel plant in Germany (2,760,000 t of steel). 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 3,564,187 t CO₂e a year looks like

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

831kcars driven for a year
465khomes' annual energy use
59 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 3.6M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant carries €283M/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 ≈71k t–178k t/yr, worth €5.7M€14.2M, with payback up to 2 years.

3.6M t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€283M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
71k t–178k t/yr ≈ €5.7M€14.2MDecarbonization 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 steel plants in Germany

ThyssenKrupp Steel Duisburg steel plant: 11,000,000 t of steel11.0MThyssenKru…Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) steel plant: 6,300,000 t of steel6.3MHüttenwerk…Salzgitter Flachstahl steel plant: 5,200,000 t of steel5.2MSalzgitter…ArcelorMittal Bremen steel plant: 3,800,000 t of steel3.8MArcelorMit…Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant: 3,240,000 t of steel3.2MSaarstahl …AG der Dillinger Hüttenwerke Dillingen steel plant: 2,760,000 t of steel2.8MAG der Dil…Kehler Baden Steel Works: 2,500,000 t of steel2.5MKehler Bad…ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt steel plant: 2,400,000 t of steel2.4MArcelorMit…

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

Operator

Operated by Saarstahl AG. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 49.2°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
17.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
339 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1406 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.08× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1336 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 #5 largest of 11 steel plants in Germany by reported capacity.

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 49.24413, 6.85323. 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 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 5,900 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 2,000 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 Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant?

Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant is a steel plant in Germany. 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.

What capacity is reported for Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant?

The open dataset reports 3,240,000 t of steel of capacity for Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant.

How much CO₂ does Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant emit?

The page uses about 3,564,187 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #8 among facilities in Germany by reported CO₂.

Where is Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant located?

Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant is in Germany at approximately 49.24413, 6.85323.

Who operates Saarstahl Völklingen Steelmaking Plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Saarstahl AG.

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