Samalaju aluminium plant — Malaysia
Aluminium Smelter in Malaysia. Approximate location 3.55321, 113.32089.
Aluminium SmelterMalaysiaCO₂ estimate (modelled)
Samalaju aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Malaysia. Its listed capacity is 960,000 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 Press Metal Samalaju. By capacity it ranks #1 among 2 aluminium smelters in Malaysia. It emits about 1,856,123 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE. That is 4.3% of the CO₂e from the 39 facilities in Malaysia that have an emissions figure in IndustryAtlas. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 7% below the national median for this sector.
Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673107.
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
- Nikolayev Alumina Refinery · 1,860,213 t CO₂e/yr · Ukraine
- San Ciprian alumina refinery · 1,860,213 t CO₂e/yr · Spain
- Baotou, Inner Mongolia aluminium plant · 1,827,619 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Wenshan Alumina Refinery & Smelter · 1,899,520 t CO₂e/yr · China
- Qinghai Xiwang aluminium plant · 1,912,624 t CO₂e/yr · China
Same Climate TRACE subsector; closest non-placeholder modelled CO₂e values. Russia and Belarus excluded.
Operating power plants within 50 km
- TG. Kidurong · Gas · 192 MW · 39 km
PowerAtlas operating assets, ordered by great-circle distance from published coordinates.
In context: how this facility compares
At 960,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Samalaju aluminium plant is around the median aluminium smelter in Malaysia (960,000 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 1,856,123 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 1.9M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Samalaju aluminium plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 1.9M t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €140M/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 Malaysia
Listed capacity (t of alumina/aluminum), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).
Operator
Operated by Press Metal Samalaju.
Local climate
Samalaju aluminium plant sits in a tropical rainforest climate zone (Köppen Af), at 3.6°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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.
In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1233 W/m² to ambient — roughly 0.95× 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 #1 largest of 2 aluminium smelters in Malaysia by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).
Nearby industrial sites
- Mukah aluminium plant · Aluminium Smelter · 232,015 t CO₂
- BSP Brunei Refinery · Refinery · 40,063 t CO₂
- Brunei Methanol Company · Chemical Plant · 283,688 t CO₂
Location
Coordinates 3.55321, 113.32089. View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of facility is Samalaju aluminium plant?
Samalaju aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in Malaysia. 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 Samalaju aluminium plant?
The open dataset lists 960,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Samalaju aluminium plant.
How much CO₂ does Samalaju aluminium plant emit?
The page uses about 1,856,123 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #7 among facilities in Malaysia by estimated CO₂.
Where is Samalaju aluminium plant located?
Samalaju aluminium plant is in Malaysia at approximately 3.55321, 113.32089.
Who operates Samalaju aluminium plant?
The operator recorded in the open dataset is Press Metal Samalaju.