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Antwerp Chemical Complex

Chemical Plant in Belgium. Approximate location 51.35913, 4.2695.

Chemical PlantBelgiumCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Antwerp Chemical Complex is a chemical plant in Belgium. Chemical plants produce a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals, many requiring precise temperature control and sustained heat input for reactions and separations. It is operated by BASF SE. It emits about 133,500 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 31k passenger cars.

133,500t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#18CO₂ rank in Belgium

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-45257032.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityAntwerp Chemical Complex Climate TRACE
CountryBelgium Climate TRACE
Coordinates51.35913, 4.2695 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorchemicals Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorBASF SE Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e133,500 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Belgium rank#18 of 22 · top 81.8% calculated
Global chemicals rank#308 of 393 · top 78.4% 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

Subsector: chemicals. As chemical plant, it requires high process heat (typically 100–500°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. Chemical plants produce a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals, many requiring precise temperature control and sustained heat input for reactions and separations.

Capacity & CO₂-intensity comparison computed from Climate TRACE industrial facilities data; sector role based on engineering reference.

What 133,500 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:

31kcars driven for a year
17khomes' annual energy use
2.2 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 134k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Antwerp Chemical Complex carries €10.6M/yr of carbon at the full EU ETS price (€79/t CO₂). Free allocation phases out to 2034 (Reg. (EU) 2023/956), so today's bill is lower and rising toward this full-price figure. 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 ≈3k t–7k t/yr, worth €212k€530k, with payback up to 2 years.

134k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€10.6M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
3k t–7k t/yr ≈ €212k€530kDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU ETS €79/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 →

Operator

Operated by BASF SE. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Antwerp Chemical Complex sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 51.4°N in the northern hemisphere.

~11°Ctypical annual mean
~18°Ctypical warm-season
Temperate oceanic: four distinct seasons — cold winters and warm summers

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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
28/100environmental-severity index
14.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
66 kmdistance to coast
ModerateCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1394 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1324 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

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 51.35913, 4.2695. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a chemical plant, the main modular-insulation targets are reactors, crackers, distillation columns, heat exchangers, steam lines, valves & flanges. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 150–500 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 10,000 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 2,100 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.

EU policy pressure on this sector

Obligation

This facility is inside the EU. For thermal equipment, insulation upgrades can support ETS exposure reduction and energy-efficiency compliance.

Sources: EU ETS, CBAM and national energy-efficiency schemes.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Antwerp Chemical Complex?

Antwerp Chemical Complex is a chemical plant in Belgium. Chemical plants produce a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals, many requiring precise temperature control and sustained heat input for reactions and separations.

How much CO₂ does Antwerp Chemical Complex emit?

The page uses about 133,500 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #18 among facilities in Belgium by estimated CO₂.

Where is Antwerp Chemical Complex located?

Antwerp Chemical Complex is in Belgium at approximately 51.35913, 4.2695.

Who operates Antwerp Chemical Complex?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is BASF SE.

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