CBAM for aluminium: primary metal, profiles and sheet
Aluminium is covered by CBAM from unwrought metal to profiles, sheet and foil. For primary aluminium, anode and PFC emissions matter; for semi-finished products, the embedded emissions of the metal your supplier bought.
Direct emissions only
For aluminium, CBAM counts direct emissions including PFC gases from anode effects, plus precursors. Indirect emissions from electricity are not included for now.
Precursors decide for profiles
For extrusions and rolled products, most embedded emissions come from the unwrought metal used. Without data from the smelter, default values and mark-ups apply.
Above 50 tonnes you need authorisation
The threshold counts all CBAM goods together. Larger importers must be authorised declarants and plan certificate costs.
Your sector in numbers
CBAM cost per tonne for goods from Türkiye, based on the EU default value and benchmark at the Q3 2026 certificate price (€82.32/tCO₂e).
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| EU default value (Türkiye) | 1.700 tCO₂e / tonne |
| with the 10 % mark-up in 2026 | 1.870 tCO₂e / tonne |
| Benchmark | 1.423 tCO₂e / tonne |
| Cost per tonne in 2026 | €39.73 |
| Cost per tonne in 2030 | €121.60 |
| Cost per tonne once free allocation ends (2034) | €181.93 |
Worked example
An importer buying 5,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminium a year from Türkiye.
Where do the emissions come from?
Primary and secondary production have very different profiles; the calculation must follow the actual route.
- Process CO₂ from anode consumption in electrolysis
- PFC gases (CF₄ and C₂F₆) during anode effects
- Natural gas in melting, casting and homogenising furnaces
- Purchased primary metal, ingots and alloying elements (precursors)
- Coatings and organic contamination when remelting scrap
What CO₂ Manager and our team do
Route-based values
Separate logic for primary, secondary and mixed production; embedded emissions per tonne of profile, sheet or foil.
Supplier data collection
Collect actual values from smelters and remelters and flag where defaults still apply.
Cost planning
See certificate costs per supplier and product for 2026 to 2034.
Audit-ready trail
ISO 14064-1 inventory and verifiable reports from the same data, for customers, banks and verifiers.
Frequently asked questions
Is secondary (recycled) aluminium covered?
Yes, if the goods fall under the covered CN codes. Scrap is not a precursor, so actual emissions of secondary aluminium are usually low; that advantage only counts with documented data.
Does electricity count?
Not for aluminium under CBAM for now. Your corporate inventory and customers will still ask for electricity-related emissions.
I buy profiles, not ingots. What do I need?
The profile producer's embedded emissions per tonne, including the metal it bought. CO₂ Manager collects these values and shows clearly where defaults were used.
First your obligations, then your costs
Find out in two minutes whether EU ETS or CBAM applies to you, then calculate the carbon cost for your product and volume. We help you replace estimates with real data.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/956; Implementing Regulations (EU) 2025/2620, 2025/2621 and 2026/1740; European Commission CBAM certificate price (Q3 2026); Directive 2003/87/EC (EU ETS). All figures are indicative. European Commission: CBAM · European Commission: EU ETS