Home / Europe / Netherlands / Petrochemical plants / SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4)

SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4)

Petrochemical in Netherlands. Approximate location 50.95591, 5.78898.

PetrochemicalNetherlandsCO₂ estimate (modelled)

SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) is a petrochemical in Netherlands. Its listed capacity is 1,310,000 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 Saudi Basic Industries Corp. By capacity it ranks #2 among 3 petrochemical plants in Netherlands. It emits about 1,709,540 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 398k passenger cars.

1,310,000t of ethylene
1,709,540t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#8CO₂ rank in Netherlands
1.30t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-18648366.

Data status

Known source data

FacilitySABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) Climate TRACE
CountryNetherlands Climate TRACE
Coordinates50.95591, 5.78898 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorpetrochemical-steam-cracking Climate TRACE
Reported capacity1,310,000 t of ethylene Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorSaudi Basic Industries Corp Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e1,709,540 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Netherlands rank#8 of 25 · top 32.0% calculated
Global petrochemical-steam-cracking rank#61 of 218 · top 28.0% 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 1,310,000 t of ethylene, SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) is around the median petrochemical in Netherlands (1,310,000 t of ethylene). Subsector: petrochemical-steam-cracking. As petrochemical, it requires high process heat (typically 300–800°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. 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 1,709,540 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:

398kcars driven for a year
223khomes' annual energy use
28 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 1.7M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) carries €136M/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 ≈34k t–85k t/yr, worth €2.7M€6.8M, with payback up to 2 years.

1.7M t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€136M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
34k t–85k t/yr ≈ €2.7M€6.8MDecarbonization 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 petrochemical plants in Netherlands

Dow Chemical Co. , Terneuzen (No. 1): 1,825,000 t of ethylene1.8MDow Chemic…SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4): 1,310,000 t of ethylene1.3MSABIC Euro…Shell Nederland Chemie BV , Moerdijk: 910,000 t of ethylene910kShell Nede…

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

Operator

Operated by Saudi Basic Industries Corp. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 51.0°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
15.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
148 kmdistance to coast
ModerateCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1401 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.08× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1331 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 3 petrochemical plants in Netherlands by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 50.95591, 5.78898. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a petrochemical, the main modular-insulation targets are steam crackers, quench towers, fractionators, heat exchangers, steam lines, valves & flanges. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 150–550 °C.

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.

Netherlands: funding & obligation

Funding. Deduct 40% of qualifying Energy-List investment from taxable profit; 2026 budget EUR 460M; min EUR 2,500/asset. official source · verified 2026

Obligation. Large enterprises (>250 staff or >EUR 50M turnover / >EUR 43M balance) must audit every 4 yrs. (applies as a rule above the stated threshold — we do not hold this site's metered energy use). official source · verified 2026

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 SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4)?

SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) is a petrochemical in Netherlands. 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 SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4)?

The open dataset lists 1,310,000 t of ethylene of capacity for SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4).

How much CO₂ does SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) emit?

The page uses about 1,709,540 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #8 among facilities in Netherlands by estimated CO₂.

Where is SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) located?

SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4) is in Netherlands at approximately 50.95591, 5.78898.

Who operates SABIC Europe , Geleen (No. 4)?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

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