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Sayanogorsk aluminium plant

Aluminium Smelter in Russian Federation. Approximate location 53.19162, 91.45098.

Aluminium SmelterRussian FederationCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Sayanogorsk aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Russian Federation. Its listed capacity is 545,000 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 United Company RUSAL PJSC. By capacity it ranks #5 among 16 aluminium smelters in Russian Federation. It emits about 1,239,921 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 289k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 9% above the national median for this sector.

545,000t of alumina/aluminum
1,239,921t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#45CO₂ rank in Russian Federation
2.28t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673132.

Data status

Known source data

FacilitySayanogorsk aluminium plant Climate TRACE
CountryRussian Federation Climate TRACE
Coordinates53.19162, 91.45098 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoraluminum Climate TRACE
Reported capacity545,000 t of alumina/aluminum Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorUnited Company RUSAL PJSC Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e1,239,921 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Russian Federation rank#45 of 186 · top 24.2% calculated
Global aluminum rank#75 of 257 · top 29.2% 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.

In context: how this facility compares

At 545,000 t of alumina/aluminum, Sayanogorsk aluminium plant is well above the median aluminium smelter in Russian Federation (320,000 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 1,239,921 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:

289kcars driven for a year
162khomes' annual energy use
21 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 1.2M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Sayanogorsk aluminium plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 1.2M t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €93.4M/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 ≈25k t–62k t/yr, worth €1.9M€4.7M, 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).

1.2M t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€93.4M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
25k t–62k t/yr ≈ €1.9M€4.7MDecarbonization 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 Russian Federation

Krasnoyarsk aluminium plant: 1,030,000 t of alumina/aluminum1.0MKrasnoyars…Bratsk aluminium plant: 1,020,000 t of alumina/aluminum1.0MBratsk alu…Achinsk Alumina Refinery: 969,780 t of alumina/aluminum970kAchinsk Al…Urals Aluminium Smelter: 816,470 t of alumina/aluminum816kUrals Alum…Sayanogorsk aluminium plant: 545,000 t of alumina/aluminum545kSayanogors…Shelekhovo aluminium plant: 430,000 t of alumina/aluminum430kShelekhovo…Taishet aluminium plant: 430,000 t of alumina/aluminum430kTaishet al…Khakas aluminium plant: 320,000 t of alumina/aluminum320kKhakas alu…

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

Operator

Operated by United Company RUSAL PJSC. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Sayanogorsk aluminium plant sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfb), at 53.2°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).

How it compares & nearby sites

The #5 largest of 16 aluminium smelters in Russian Federation by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 53.19162, 91.45098. 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 2,600 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 520 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.

External climate finance your country can access

For energy-efficiency projects around process heat, likely external funding channels include:

Sources: country climate-finance facilities and public development-bank programmes.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Sayanogorsk aluminium plant?

Sayanogorsk aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in Russian Federation. 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 Sayanogorsk aluminium plant?

The open dataset lists 545,000 t of alumina/aluminum of capacity for Sayanogorsk aluminium plant.

How much CO₂ does Sayanogorsk aluminium plant emit?

The page uses about 1,239,921 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #45 among facilities in Russian Federation by estimated CO₂.

Where is Sayanogorsk aluminium plant located?

Sayanogorsk aluminium plant is in Russian Federation at approximately 53.19162, 91.45098.

Who operates Sayanogorsk aluminium plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is United Company RUSAL PJSC.

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