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UMC Metals Chon Buri plant

Steel Plant in Thailand. Approximate location 13.27568, 100.97054.

Steel PlantThailandCO₂ estimate (modelled)

UMC Metals Chon Buri plant is a steel plant in Thailand. Its listed capacity is 805,000 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 UMC Metals Ltd. By capacity it ranks #2 among 3 steel plants in Thailand. It emits about 30,501 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 7.1k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 96% below the national median for this sector.

805,000t of steel
30,501t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#32CO₂ rank in Thailand
0.04t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-1567062.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityUMC Metals Chon Buri plant Climate TRACE
CountryThailand Climate TRACE
Coordinates13.27568, 100.97054 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoriron-and-steel Climate TRACE
Reported capacity805,000 t of steel Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorUMC Metals Ltd Climate TRACE
GEM steel parentunknown Global Energy Monitor
Steel process routeelectric Global Energy Monitor
Steel asset statusoperating Global Energy Monitor
Steel equipmentEAF Global Energy Monitor
Steel capacity805 ktpa Global Energy Monitor
Modelled CO₂e30,501 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Thailand rank#32 of 37 · top 86.5% calculated
Global iron-and-steel rank#835 of 868 · top 96.2% 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 805,000 t of steel, UMC Metals Chon Buri plant is around the median steel plant in Thailand (805,000 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 30,501 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:

7.1kcars driven for a year
4.0khomes' annual energy use
508ktree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 31k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), UMC Metals Chon Buri plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 31k t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €2.3M/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 ≈610 t–2k t/yr, worth €46k€115k, 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).

31k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€2.3M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
610 t–2k t/yr ≈ €46k€115kDecarbonization 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 steel plants in Thailand

Chow Steel Kabinburi Steel Plant: 1,460,000 t of steel1.5MChow Steel…UMC Metals Chon Buri plant: 805,000 t of steel805kUMC Metals…Tata Steel Manufacturing SCSC Plant: 550,000 t of steel550kTata Steel…

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

Operator

Operated by UMC Metals Ltd.

Local climate

UMC Metals Chon Buri plant sits in a tropical savanna climate zone (Köppen Aw), at 13.3°N in the northern hemisphere.

~26°Ctypical annual mean
~29°Ctypical warm-season
Tropical savanna: warm all year, with distinct wet and dry seasons

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
42/100environmental-severity index
3.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
63 kmdistance to coast
HighCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1218 W/m² to ambient — roughly 0.94× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1157 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 #2 largest of 3 steel plants in Thailand by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 13.27568, 100.97054. 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.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 3,600 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 1,200 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:

CBAM. Exporters of cement, steel, aluminium, fertiliser, hydrogen and electricity to the EU face the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — cutting embedded emissions (efficiency + insulation) lowers the levy.

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

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is UMC Metals Chon Buri plant?

UMC Metals Chon Buri plant is a steel plant in Thailand. 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 listed for UMC Metals Chon Buri plant?

The open dataset lists 805,000 t of steel of capacity for UMC Metals Chon Buri plant.

How much CO₂ does UMC Metals Chon Buri plant emit?

The page uses about 30,501 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #32 among facilities in Thailand by estimated CO₂.

Where is UMC Metals Chon Buri plant located?

UMC Metals Chon Buri plant is in Thailand at approximately 13.27568, 100.97054.

Who operates UMC Metals Chon Buri plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is UMC Metals Ltd.

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