Chemical companies investigate potential to halve CO2 emissions in the port of Antwerp by 2030
With the Antwerp@C project, the Antwerp Port Authority and seven leading chemical and energy companies aim to halve CO2 emissions in the port of Antwerp by 2030 by capturing and reusing or storing CO2. The consortium consists of Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp and Total.
At the end of 2019, the Antwerp Port Authority brought together seven leading chemical and energy companies in the context of CO2 reduction and the transition to a sustainable and carbon neutral port. The partners aim to keep CO2 out of the atmosphere within a reasonably short period of time and at an affordable cost, thereby making an important contribution to climate objectives. The potential of this project is to capture half of the port’s CO2 emissions by 2030.
Port of Antwerp: an ideal place for carbon capture
The port of Antwerp is home to the largest integrated energy and chemical cluster in Europe. This makes it the ideal location for creating new cross-company collaborations and for innovative CO2 reduction. With the Antwerp@C project, initiators Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp and Total are investigating the technical and economic feasibility of CO2 infrastructure to support possible future CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage) applications.
The capture and storage of CO2 (Carbon Capture & Storage, CCS) and eventually the reuse of CO2 as a raw material for various applications (Carbon Capture & Utilisation, CCU), are seen as important stepping stones in the transition to a carbon neutral port.
Feasibility Study
With support from the Flemish Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO), Antwerp@C is currently carrying out a feasibility study into setting up a central pipeline alongside the industry on both the left and right banks, several common treatment units, a common installation for liquefying CO2, interim storage of CO2 and its cross-border transport via both ship loading and pipeline.
Cross-border transport infrastructure
Given that Belgium does not have the suitable subsurface, international cooperation is necessary to transport CO2 across borders and to store it permanently in, among other things, empty gas fields under the sea. Antwerp@C is therefore investigating the possibility of transport to Rotterdam via pipeline or by ship to Norway.
European projects
For the realisation, Antwerp@C relies on two initiatives for cross-border CO2 transport infrastructure that were recently accredited by the European Commission: the CO2TransPorts project for infrastructure towards Rotterdam and the Northern Lights project for infrastructure towards Norway.
