Home / Africa / Algeria / Petrochemical plants / Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda

Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda

Petrochemical in Algeria. Approximate location 36.88108, 6.95745.

PetrochemicalAlgeriaCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda is a petrochemical in Algeria. Its listed capacity is 130,000 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 Sonatrach SpA. It emits about 149,667 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 35k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 12% below the national median for this sector.

130,000t of ethylene
149,667t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#25CO₂ rank in Algeria
1.15t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-732012.

Data status

Known source data

FacilitySonatrach Skikda, Skikda Climate TRACE
CountryAlgeria Climate TRACE
Coordinates36.88108, 6.95745 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorpetrochemical-steam-cracking Climate TRACE
Reported capacity130,000 t of ethylene Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorSonatrach SpA Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e149,667 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Algeria rank#25 of 29 · top 86.2% calculated
Global petrochemical-steam-cracking rank#209 of 218 · top 95.9% 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 130,000 t of ethylene, Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda is around the median petrochemical in Algeria (130,000 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 149,667 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:

35kcars driven for a year
20khomes' annual energy use
2.5 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 150k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda carries no domestic carbon price; petrochemicals are not a CBAM-covered good, so there is no border-carbon liability. At the EU ETS reference price (€75/t) the emissions carry an indicative carbon value of €11.3M/yr. 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 €226k€564k, with payback up to 2 years. No domestic carbon price — but cement, steel, aluminium, fertilizer and hydrogen exported to the EU face CBAM at €75/t (rising to 100% by 2034).

150k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€11.3M/yrindicative carbon value (not a CBAM liability)
3k t–7k t/yr ≈ €226k€564kDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU CBAM €75/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 Sonatrach SpA. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate zone (Köppen Csa), at 36.9°N in the northern hemisphere.

~17°Ctypical annual mean
~27°Ctypical warm-season
Hot-summer mediterranean: 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 marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
42/100environmental-severity index
14.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
46 kmdistance to coast
HighCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1331 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.02× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1264 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 36.88108, 6.95745. 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.

External climate finance your country can access

For energy-efficiency projects around process heat, likely external funding channels include:

Sources: country climate-finance facilities and public development-bank programmes.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda?

Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda is a petrochemical in Algeria. 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 Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda?

The open dataset lists 130,000 t of ethylene of capacity for Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda.

How much CO₂ does Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda emit?

The page uses about 149,667 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #25 among facilities in Algeria by estimated CO₂.

Where is Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda located?

Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda is in Algeria at approximately 36.88108, 6.95745.

Who operates Sonatrach Skikda, Skikda?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Sonatrach SpA.

Built from open public data; no personal information. Operate this site? Request a correction or removal.