Flare Activity

Flares are just as much a part of the Ludwigshafen site’s image as columns or pipe racks. Many of them are hardly visible but some attract a great deal of attention when they go into operation.

In the North section of the site, the steamcracker’s elevated flare is especially striking with its 140 meters. As soon as they go into operation, also the flares of the acetylene plant and the aromatics plant on Friesenheimer Insel can be seen from far away.

Flares are used for two reasons in particular: For one, they incinerate the exhaust gas that forms in the plants, but they are also required as safety facilities that serve to burn off excess gas. These accrue most often when starting up or shutting down a plant, for example during repairs or inspections.

There are about 20 safety flares of this kind at the Ludwigshafen site with a flare or corresponding combustion unit used in nearly every plant. Part of the plant is also connected to a network of flares.

Each Flare is Custom-Made

There is a huge variety of flare types. Each flare or each flare system is custom-made, tailored to the specific properties and quantity of gas in the respective plant. For some flares, their operation is associated with a clearly visible fiery glow and noise generation.