Societe du Craqueur de L' Aubette SCA , Berre l'etang

Societe du Craqueur de L' Aubette SCA , Berre l'etang is a petrochemical in France. Its listed capacity is 470,000 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. By capacity it ranks #3 among 6 petrochemical plants in France. It emits about 613,346 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 143k passenger cars.

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-18648350.

In context: how this facility compares

At 470,000 t of ethylene, Societe du Craqueur de L' Aubette SCA , Berre l'etang is around the median petrochemical in France (470,000 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 613,346 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:

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

Capacity vs largest petrochemical plants in France

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

Local climate

Societe du Craqueur de L' Aubette SCA , Berre l'etang sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate zone (Köppen Csa), at 43.5°N in the northern hemisphere.

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 marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1353 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.04× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1285 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 #3 largest of 6 petrochemical plants in France by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

• Bouches-du-Rhône Department · Aluminium Smelter · 47,088 t CO₂
• Chaux De Provence Sacam · Lime Plant · 193,379 t CO₂
• Chaux De La Tour · Lime Plant · 145,882 t CO₂
• INEOS, Lavera · Petrochemical · 927,870 t CO₂
• INEOS Lavera Marseilles Refinery · Refinery · 2,443,631 t CO₂
• La Malle Cement Plant · Cement Plant · 160,723 t CO₂

Location

Coordinates 43.49527, 5.17175. 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.

France: funding & obligation

Funding. Energy-savings certificate premiums for efficiency works; 6th period from 1 Jan 2026 (+35% obligation, 1050 TWhc/yr). official source · verified 2026

Obligation. Now CONSUMPTION-based: if avg annual final energy >2.75 GWh over 3 yrs, mandatory regulatory energy audit; first audit for newly-covered sites by 11 Oct 2026. (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