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Sunndalsora aluminium plant

Aluminium Smelter in Norway. Approximate location 62.67784, 8.55466.

Aluminium SmelterNorwayCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Sunndalsora aluminium plant is an aluminium smelter in Norway. 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 Sunndal Primary Production. It emits about 865,096 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 202k passenger cars.

865,096t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#2CO₂ rank in Norway

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-3673109.

Data status

Known source data

FacilitySunndalsora aluminium plant Climate TRACE
CountryNorway Climate TRACE
Coordinates62.67784, 8.55466 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoraluminum Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorSunndal Primary Production Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e865,096 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Norway rank#2 of 46 · top 4.3% calculated
Global aluminum rank#108 of 257 · top 42.0% 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: 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 865,096 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:

202kcars driven for a year
113khomes' annual energy use
14 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 865k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Sunndalsora aluminium plant carries €68.7M/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 ≈17k t–43k t/yr, worth €1.4M€3.4M, with payback up to 2 years.

865k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€68.7M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
17k t–43k t/yr ≈ €1.4M€3.4MDecarbonization 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 Sunndal Primary Production.

Local climate

Sunndalsora aluminium plant sits in a tundra climate zone (Köppen ET), at 62.7°N in the northern hemisphere.

~-5°Ctypical annual mean
~6°Ctypical warm-season
Tundra: long cold winters and short, cool 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 thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
15/100environmental-severity index
15.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
75 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1494 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.15× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1419 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 62.67784, 8.55466. 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 2,300 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 470 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 Sunndalsora aluminium plant?

Sunndalsora aluminium plant is a aluminium smelter in Norway. 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.

How much CO₂ does Sunndalsora aluminium plant emit?

The page uses about 865,096 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #2 among facilities in Norway by estimated CO₂.

Where is Sunndalsora aluminium plant located?

Sunndalsora aluminium plant is in Norway at approximately 62.67784, 8.55466.

Who operates Sunndalsora aluminium plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Sunndal Primary Production.

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