BASF AG , Ludwigshafen is a petrochemical plant in Germany. Its listed capacity is 620,000 t of ethylene. Petrochemical plants crack hydrocarbons at very high temperatures to produce ethylene, propylene and other building-block chemicals — one of the most heat-intensive industrial processes. It is operated by BASF SE. By capacity it ranks #4 among 8 petrochemical plants in Germany. It emits about 910,820 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE. That is 0.81% of the CO₂e from the 118 facilities in Germany that have an emissions figure in IndustryAtlas. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 13% above the national median for this sector.

620,000t of ethylene
910,820t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#29CO₂ rank in Germany
1.47t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-18648353.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityBASF AG , Ludwigshafen Climate TRACE
CountryGermany Climate TRACE
Coordinates49.53026, 8.42226 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorpetrochemical-steam-cracking Climate TRACE
Reported capacity620,000 t of ethylene Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorBASF SE Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e910,820 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Germany rank#29 of 118 · top 24.6% calculated
Global petrochemical-steam-cracking rank#118 of 218 · top 54.1% 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

At 620,000 t of ethylene, BASF AG , Ludwigshafen is around the median petrochemical plant in Germany (620,000 t of ethylene). Subsector: petrochemical-steam-cracking. As petrochemical plant, it requires high process heat (typically 300–800°C) for its core industrial operations, supplied by boilers, furnaces or direct combustion. Petrochemical plants crack hydrocarbons at very high temperatures to produce ethylene, propylene and other building-block chemicals — one of the most heat-intensive industrial processes.

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

What 910,820 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:

2.1 millionbarrels of crude oil burned
212kgasoline cars driven for a year
911kacres of US forest absorbing CO₂ for a year

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

Carbon cost and Scope 1 emissions

At its reported 911k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), BASF AG , Ludwigshafen carries €77.7M/yr of carbon at the full EU ETS price (€85/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.

911k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€77.7M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price

Carbon price: EU ETS €85/t · EU ETS €85/t, September 10, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: Climate TRACE. Indicative carbon value, not the cash bill — free allocation applies; not compliance advice.

Capacity vs largest petrochemical plants in Germany

INEOS , Dormagen: 1,155,000 t of ethylene1.2MINEOS , Do…BP Gelsenkirchen , Gelsenkirchen: 1,073,000 t of ethylene1.1MBP Gelsenk…Basell Polyfine GMBH , Wesseling: 1,040,000 t of ethylene1.0MBasell Pol…BASF AG , Ludwigshafen: 620,000 t of ethylene620kBASF AG , …Dow Chemical Co. , Bohlen: 565,000 t of ethylene565kDow Chemic…OMV Deutschland GMBH , Burghausen, Bavaria: 450,000 t of ethylene450kOMV Deutsc…Shell & DEA Oil GMBH , Wesseling: 310,000 t of ethylene310kShell & DE…Klesch, Heide: 110,000 t of ethylene110kKlesch, He…

Listed capacity (t of ethylene), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).

Local climate

BASF AG , Ludwigshafen sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 49.5°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

This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
26/100environmental-severity index
18.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
375 kmdistance to coast
LowCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1393 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× the loss at a 20 °C reference. 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).

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

The #4 largest of 8 petrochemical plants in Germany by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 49.53026, 8.42226. View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is BASF AG , Ludwigshafen?

BASF AG , Ludwigshafen is a petrochemical plant in Germany. Petrochemical plants crack hydrocarbons at very high temperatures to produce ethylene, propylene and other building-block chemicals — one of the most heat-intensive industrial processes.

What capacity is listed for BASF AG , Ludwigshafen?

The open dataset lists 620,000 t of ethylene of capacity for BASF AG , Ludwigshafen.

How much CO₂ does BASF AG , Ludwigshafen emit?

The page uses about 910,820 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #29 among facilities in Germany by estimated CO₂.

Where is BASF AG , Ludwigshafen located?

BASF AG , Ludwigshafen is in Germany at approximately 49.53026, 8.42226.

Who operates BASF AG , Ludwigshafen?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is BASF SE.

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