Year-long delay looms for hydrogen pipeline linking Ghent and Antwerp ports
The construction of a major hydrogen pipeline between the ports of Ghent and Antwerp could be delayed by a year following the suspension of its environmental permit, gas network operator Fluxys has confirmed.
The pipeline, which would link the towns of Zelzate and Kallo, is part of the first phase of plans to build a hydrogen network in Belgium and represents an investment of tens of millions of euros.
The pipeline was due to be completed in 2026, but the Council for Permit Disputes decided to suspend its environmental permit following an urgent appeal by several fruit growers. The fruit growers are concerned about plans to discharge water contaminated with PFAS, or "forever chemicals".
PFAS limits
"Work has been halted pending a decision on the merits of the case, which could take up to a year," said Fluxys spokesperson Tim De Vil. "This clearly puts our timetable at risk." A final decision on the permit is not expected until next year at the earliest.
Fluxys was granted a permit to lay 35km of new pipeline, including permission to drain and discharge PFAS-contaminated water into surface water under certain conditions. The council ruled that the impact on watercourses that already exceed PFAS limits had not been properly assessed.
Hydrogen backbone
The pipeline linking the two ports would form a backbone for Belgium's future hydrogen infrastructure, Fluxys said. "For us, there is no doubt that this connection is necessary. It is located between two important industrial clusters and will contribute to a sustainable future," said De Vil.
Meanwhile, Fluxys is in talks with the Flemish government and farmers' organisations to to see if and how the permit can still be secured. "We understand the concerns, but we stress that we always try to limit damage and, if damage occurs, to compensate for it," said De Vil.
#FlandersNewsService | Construction of a 44km hydrogen pipeline between Zeebrugge and Brussels, June 2023, Lokeren © BELGA PHOTO JONAS D'HOLLANDER
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