Major Facility Emissions: Trade-Exposed Baseline Adjusted (TEBA)

The Safeguard Mechanism sets legislated emissions limits—called baselines—for Australia’s largest emitters. In general, baselines are calculated by multiplying a facility’s output by an emissions-intensity factor and fall by 4.9% annually. (Read more: DCCEEW)

One exception is trade-exposed facilities, which may receive tailored baselines to help maintain competitiveness. The rationale is to prevent emissions ‘leakage’—where production moves offshore to escape stricter rules, shifting emissions rather than reducing them.

How it works:

• Facilities can apply to the Clean Energy Regulator for a Trade-Exposed Baseline Adjusted (TEBA) status.
• If approved, they receive a lower annual baseline decline rate for three years, based on a standard impact assessment.
• Read more about TEBA at DCCEEW.

The manufacturing sector is the main beneficiary of adjusted baselines due to trade exposure. This is because it competes directly in global markets, including manufacturers in countries with emissions rules.

Here are the TEBA facilities in the 2023–24 update:

• Angaston Operations (Adbri Limited)
• Bell Bay Smelter (Rio Tinto Aluminium (Bell Bay) Limited)\
• Boyne Smelters Limited (Rio Tinto Aluminium Limited)
• Dandenong (Oceania Glass Pty Ltd)
• Geelong Refinery (Viva Energy Refining Pty Ltd)
• Kwinana Alumina Refinery (Alcoa Of Australia Limited)
• Kwinana Pigment Plant (Tronox Management Pty Ltd)
• Liberty Primary Steel Whyalla Steelworks (Onesteel Manufacturing Pty Limited)
• Norske Skog Boyer Mill (Norske Skog Paper Mills (Australia) Limited)
• Nyrstar Port Pirie Facility (Nyrstar Port Pirie Pty Ltd)
• Opal Australian Paper Maryvale Mill (Paper Australia Pty Ltd)
• Parkhurst Magnesia Manufacturing Plant (Qmag Pty Limited)
• Phosphate Hill (Incitec Pivot Limited)
• Port Kembla Steelworks (Bluescope Steel (AIS) Pty Ltd)
• Queensland Alumina Limited Refinery (Queensland Alumina Limited)
• Rio Tinto Yarwun (RTA Yarwun Pty Ltd)
• YPF Ammonia Plant (Yara Pilbara Fertilisers Pty Ltd)

The Clean Energy Regulator reports on TEBA facilities here.