The Port Of Antwerp carbon capture and storage project that aims to decarbonize operations of the industry within the Port of Antwerp’s perimeters, reached a new milestone. The ambitious project enters its engineering phase with a final investment decision expected by the end of 2022.
The initiative is a consortium consisting of Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Fluxys, the Port of Antwerp and Total. It was first set up at the end of 2019 and targets cutting CO2 emissions in the port by 50% by 2030 through the creation of a common suitable infrastructure.
In 2021, a feasibility study was carried out and with the newly announced engineering studies, the port authority will further investigate the construction of a central backbone through the port area along the industrial zones.
The Port Of Antwerp carbon capture and storage project will collect and export CO2 for sequestration in offshore capacities in the coming years at reasonable costs or will offer the captured emissions for reuse to the industry.
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The Port of Antwerp hosts the largest integrated energy and chemicals hub in Europe. The carbon capture initiative attracted seven leading chemical and energy companies together at the end of 2019 to reduce their emissions and participate in the net zero economy.
“The time is now to make the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy. Europe leads the way on the global stage. With Antwerp@C, the Port of Antwerp has the key to realize an innovative cost-border Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage (CCUS)-project, a first of a kind in its concept and scale,” said Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO for the Port of Antwerp.
The current work on the project is funded by all consortium participants, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant, and by subsidies from the Flemish government. The carbon capture project will contribute to the Flemish, Belgian and European climate goals and will set an example for other industrial clusters to integrate decarbonization technologies.
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