How do I calculate the carbon footprint of ACSR conductor?

ACSR is aluminium wire stranded around a galvanised steel core. Split the conductor's weight into aluminium and steel, multiply each by its supplier's figure, then add wire drawing and stranding energy per tonne of conductor.

Material

• Aluminium rod, which carries most of the footprint.
• Galvanised steel core wire.
• Grease and wooden or steel drums.

Process

• Drawing aluminium rod into wire.
• Stranding aluminium layers over the steel core.
• Testing and winding onto drums.

Per tonne

Report per tonne or per km by conductor code, since the aluminium to steel ratio differs between sizes. Primary aluminium smelted on coal power carries a high figure, so ask for the rod supplier's own number.

Worked example: plant energy per tonne (one month)

• Electricity: 120,000 kWh x 0.710 = 85,200 kg CO2
• Tonnes of conductor: 800
• Plant total: 85,200 / 800 = 106.5 kg CO2 per tonne
• Add aluminium rod and steel core wire for the full figure

Inputs are illustrative; use your own bills and production records.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads the plant's electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and fuel invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record, the plant-level input to a per-unit figure. Bought-in materials go to the supplier evidence trail; product reports are self-declared drafts.

• Product carbon footprint calculator
• Aluminium extrusion footprint
• Steel wire drawing footprint
• Copper cable footprint
• Aluminium industry

Sources: GHG Protocol Product Standard, ISO 14067:2018, Carbon footprint of products (iso.org), IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy (fuel defaults), CEA CO2 Baseline Database, version 21.0

Last reviewed 2026-10-21.