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TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher

Petrochemical in France. Approximate location 49.48036, 0.21537.

PetrochemicalFranceCO₂ estimate (modelled)

TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher is a petrochemical in France. Its listed capacity is 525,000 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 TotalEnergies SE. By capacity it ranks #2 among 6 petrochemical plants in France. It emits about 658,286 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 153k passenger cars.

525,000t of ethylene
658,286t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#13CO₂ rank in France
1.25t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-18648351.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityTotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher Climate TRACE
CountryFrance Climate TRACE
Coordinates49.48036, 0.21537 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorpetrochemical-steam-cracking Climate TRACE
Reported capacity525,000 t of ethylene Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorTotalEnergies SE Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e658,286 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

France rank#13 of 117 · top 11.1% calculated
Global petrochemical-steam-cracking rank#150 of 218 · top 68.8% 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 525,000 t of ethylene, TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher 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 658,286 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:

153kcars driven for a year
86khomes' annual energy use
11 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 658k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher carries €52.3M/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 ≈13k t–33k t/yr, worth €1.0M€2.6M, with payback up to 2 years.

658k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€52.3M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
13k t–33k t/yr ≈ €1.0M€2.6MDecarbonization 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 France

INEOS, Lavera: 740,000 t of ethylene740kINEOS, Lav…TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher: 525,000 t of ethylene525kTotalEnerg…Societe du Craqueur de L' Aubette SCA , Berre l'etang: 470,000 t of ethylene470kSociete du…Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque: 380,000 t of ethylene380kVersalis F…ExxonMobil Corp., Notre Dame: 318,750 t of ethylene319kExxonMobil…TotalEnergies Feyzin, Feyzin: 250,000 t of ethylene250kTotalEnerg…

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

Operator

Operated by TotalEnergies SE. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher 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

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
11.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
29 kmdistance to coast
HighCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1388 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1319 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 petrochemical plants in France by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 49.48036, 0.21537. 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

What type of facility is TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher?

TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher is a petrochemical in France. 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 TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher?

The open dataset lists 525,000 t of ethylene of capacity for TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher.

How much CO₂ does TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher emit?

The page uses about 658,286 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #13 among facilities in France by estimated CO₂.

Where is TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher located?

TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher is in France at approximately 49.48036, 0.21537.

Who operates TotalEnergies Petrochemicals , Gonfreville l'orcher?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is TotalEnergies SE.

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