Restart Issues Trouble French Refinery Following Power Outage

After burning seven days straight, the noisy safety flares at the Lavéra petrochemical site on France’s Mediterranean coast are drawing the ire of neighboring residents, LaProvence reports.

“Like an eternal restart, the famous flares burning surplus gas from refineries are singled out,” the newspaper reports.

Located near Marseille, Lavera is the largest refinery in southern France and one of the largest refining sites in Southern Europe with the capacity to process 210,000 barrels per day. A large network of pipelines connect the site to its suppliers.

Unfortunately, forest fires that erupted near Marseille on August 4 temporarily cut power to the refinery, making the flaring necessary. Since the operation in Lavéra involves various companies and production lines, restarting has extended over an increasing number of days due to technical setbacks.

“I have the impression of having a Boeing in the courtyard of the house,” one neighbor complained.