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Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque

Petrochemical in France. Approximate location 51.02697, 2.24324.

PetrochemicalFranceCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque is a petrochemical in France. Its listed capacity is 380,000 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 Eni SpA. By capacity it ranks #4 among 6 petrochemical plants in France. It emits about 558,244 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 130k passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 13% above the national median for this sector.

380,000t of ethylene
558,244t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#18CO₂ rank in France
1.47t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-18648349.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityVersalis France SAS, Dunkerque Climate TRACE
CountryFrance Climate TRACE
Coordinates51.02697, 2.24324 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectorpetrochemical-steam-cracking Climate TRACE
Reported capacity380,000 t of ethylene Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorEni SpA Climate TRACE
Modelled CO₂e558,244 t/yr Climate TRACE
Measured CO₂ cross-check423,905 t/yr measured cross-check · EUTL 2023

Calculated from the dataset

France rank#18 of 117 · top 15.4% calculated
Global petrochemical-steam-cracking rank#165 of 218 · top 75.7% 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 380,000 t of ethylene, Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque 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 558,244 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:

130kcars driven for a year
73khomes' annual energy use
9.3 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

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

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 558k t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque carries €44.4M/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 ≈11k t–28k t/yr, worth €887k€2.2M, with payback up to 2 years.

Measured CO₂: 424k t/yr — verified EUTL (reporting year 2023) (24% below the modelled estimate). Modelled estimate 558k t/yr (Climate TRACE), high-confidence match, cross-checked via the measured-vs-modelled dataset (n=711).

558k t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€44.4M/yrcarbon value · full EU ETS price
11k t–28k t/yr ≈ €887k€2.2MDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU ETS €79/t · EU ETS €79/t, July 2, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: measured (EUTL RY2023), cross-checked vs 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 Eni SpA. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
13.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
24 kmdistance to coast
HighCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1395 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1325 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 #4 largest of 6 petrochemical plants in France by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 51.02697, 2.24324. 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 Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque?

Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque 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 Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque?

The open dataset lists 380,000 t of ethylene of capacity for Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque.

How much CO₂ does Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque emit?

The page uses about 558,244 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #18 among facilities in France by estimated CO₂.

Where is Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque located?

Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque is in France at approximately 51.02697, 2.24324.

Who operates Versalis France SAS, Dunkerque?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Eni SpA.

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