Fluorspar: Emissions
The carbon cost of turning fluorspar into HF
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 0.75 t CO2e per t HF range not published · fully loaded, cradle-to-gate Global emissions per year 2.30 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · derived: about 6.5 Mt acidspar (65% of 10 Mt) / about 2.1 t acidspar per t HF = about 3 Mt HF x 0.75; excludes metspar and downstream F-gas emissionsPer t of hydrogen fluoride (HF), the main product of acid-grade fluorspar; cradle-to-gate including fluorspar supply. Intensity: Thunder Said Energy, HF economics model (indicative). Global total: Derived from USGS MCS 2026, Clarke and Huxtable 2017 grade split and Thunder Said Energy (indicative).
Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | not published separately | – | diesel haulage and blasting in underground and open-pit mines | Fluorspar mining LCAs were not found | No published LCA found (2026 search) |
| Refining / processing | within 0.75 t CO2e per t HF; split not published | – | grinding and flotation electricity, concentrate drying, then gas-fired rotary kilns reacting acidspar with sulphuric acid | Sulphuric acid use is about 2.5 t per t HF (stoichiometric) | Thunder Said Energy (indicative); stoichiometry |
| Movement | not published | – | bulk shipping Mexico-US, South Africa-Europe/India; trucking Mongolia-China | Small next to processing | USGS MCS 2026 |
| Usage | fluorinated gases about 1.4 Gt CO2e in 2019, about 2% of global GHG emissions (all F-gases) | – | leakage of HFC refrigerants and HFC-23 by-product from HCFC-22 plants; SF6 is not fluorspar-specific | This downstream impact dwarfs fluorspar production emissions by hundreds of times | IPCC AR6 WGIII 2022, Ch. 2 (indicative) |
| Recycling / end of life | not published | – | aluminium smelters recycle fluorides in-plant; refrigerant recovery and reclamation; FSA from phosphate replaces mined fluorspar | EU end-of-life recycling input rate 1% | USGS MCS 2026; EU CRM 2023 |
Other environmental impacts
HF production leaves about 3.4 t of anhydrite per t of HF. Mine tailings and fluoride in local water are concerns in Mexico and China. HF is acutely toxic, so plant safety and transport risk are major issues.
Levers to cut emissions
- Phase down HFCs under the 2016 Kigali Amendment (80-85% cut by the late 2040s) and switch to low-GWP refrigerants
- Destroy HFC-23 by-product at HCFC-22 plants
- Use fluorosilicic acid from phosphate plants (world phosphate holds about 5 billion t fluorspar equivalent)
- Electrify or heat-integrate HF kilns and use low-carbon power for flotation
- Recover and reclaim refrigerants at end of life
India
India imports 27% of world acid-grade fluorspar value (2024) for HF and refrigerant plants in Gujarat; under the Kigali Amendment India freezes HFC use in 2028 and cuts 85% by 2047, which matters more than mining emissions (UN Comtrade 2024; UNEP Kigali schedule, indicative).
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.