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Brunsbüttel

Chemical Plant in Germany. Approximate location 53.91408, 9.11618.

Chemical PlantGermanyCO₂ reported

Brunsbüttel is a chemical plant in Germany with a reported capacity of 1,570,000 t of chemical. 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 Yara International ASA. By capacity it ranks #2 among 6 chemical plants in Germany. It emits about 3,524,921 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 822k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 56% above the national median for this sector.

1,570,000t of chemical
3,524,921t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#9CO₂ rank in Germany
2.25t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-45257234.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityBrunsbüttel Climate TRACE
CountryGermany Climate TRACE
Coordinates53.91408, 9.11618 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorchemicals Climate TRACE
Reported capacity1,570,000 t of chemical Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorYara International ASA Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e3,524,921 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Germany rank#9 of 118 · top 7.6% calculated
Global chemicals rank#40 of 393 · top 10.2% 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 1,570,000 t of chemical, Brunsbüttel is well above the median chemical plant in Germany (610,000 t of chemical). 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 3,524,921 t CO₂e a year looks like

This facility's reported annual CO₂e in everyday equivalents from the US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator:

822kcars driven for a year
460khomes' annual energy use
59 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 3.5M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Brunsbüttel carries €280M/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 ≈70k t–176k t/yr, worth €5.6M€14.0M, with payback up to 2 years.

3.5M t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€280M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
70k t–176k t/yr ≈ €5.6M€14.0MDecarbonization 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 →

Capacity vs largest chemical plants in Germany

Germany: 2,521,580 t of chemical2.5MGermanyBrunsbüttel: 1,570,000 t of chemical1.6MBrunsbüttelSodawerk Staßfurt: 610,000 t of chemical610kSodawerk S…Ludwigshafen: 380,000 t of chemical380kLudwigshaf…INEOS Nitriles Cologne: 350,000 t of chemical350kINEOS Nitr…Ludwigshafen: 165,000 t of chemical165kLudwigshaf…

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

Operator

Operated by Yara International ASA. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Brunsbüttel sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 53.9°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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
15.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
23 kmdistance to coast
HighCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1413 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.09× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1342 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

The #2 largest of 6 chemical plants in Germany by reported capacity.

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 53.91408, 9.11618. 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 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 30,000 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 6,000 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.

Germany: funding & obligation

Funding. Grant 20-60% depending on module and company size; Modul 4 = energy/resource optimization of plants & processes (insulation fits). Foerderwettbewerb round budget ~EUR 60M. official source · verified 2026

Obligation. Mandatory energy audit if avg final energy 2.77-23.6 GWh/yr; certified EnMS/EMS if >23.6 GWh/yr; implementation plans for economically viable measures within 3 months of audit. (applies as a rule above the stated threshold — we do not hold this site's metered energy use). official source · verified 2026
Status: Thresholds are an April-2026 DRAFT amendment (previously 7.5 GWh EnMS) — confirm enacted before publishing.

Programme terms verified 2026-06-18; confirm the current open phase before applying. Eligibility depends on a site's energy use / headcount, which we do not hold — not a per-facility eligibility determination.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Brunsbüttel?

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

What capacity is reported for Brunsbüttel?

The open dataset reports 1,570,000 t of chemical of capacity for Brunsbüttel.

How much CO₂ does Brunsbüttel emit?

The page uses about 3,524,921 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #9 among facilities in Germany by reported CO₂.

Where is Brunsbüttel located?

Brunsbüttel is in Germany at approximately 53.91408, 9.11618.

Who operates Brunsbüttel?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Yara International ASA.

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