British Ineos gets green light to build 3 billion euros ethane cracker in Antwerp

After years of suffering, Flemish Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) gives the green light for the British chemical group INEOS to build an ethane cracker - an investment of 3 billion euros - in the port of Antwerp. 

With the granting of an environmental permit to INEOS Olefins Belgium for the construction of an ethane cracker, "Flanders is at the forefront of sustainable investment and economic growth," says INEOS CEO John McNally to Belga News Agency.

The project ran into strong resistance from environmental organizations for years, which meant that new permits had to be applied for several times. The company defended it should provide 450 direct jobs.

"As all advisory bodies and the deputation of Antwerp have already judged, this project complies with our regulations and I confirm the environmental permit from the province," says Demir to the Belgian newspaper De Tijd. "The previously refused gas plants emitted at least twice as much nitrogen (NOx) and five to six times as much ammonia," she added. 

The installation will emit 655,000 tons of CO2, which is much less than the rejected gas plants.

It is the first time in twenty years that a cracker gets a favorable decision to build on the European mainland to convert ethane into ethylene, one of the basic raw materials in the chemical industry for plastic production. 

Some experts defend that the new cracker "Project One" means a reinforcement of the chemical sector in the port of Antwerp. It houses one of the largest petrochemical clusters in the world.

“With Project ONE, which uses ethane as a feedstock, there is an alternative with a substantially lower carbon footprint,” says INEOS. “In addition, hydrogen is released during the cracking process, which can be reused as an energy source.”

(VIV)

#FlandersNewsService

© BELGA PHOTO (JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE) Flemish Minister of Environment, Energy, Tourism and Justice Zuhal Demir during a plenary session