Demir gives the go-ahead for ethane cracker in Antwerp: “Previously refused gas plants emitted at least twice as much nitrogen” | Inland

“As all advisory bodies and the Antwerp deputation have already judged, this project complies with our regulations and I confirm the environmental permit from the province,” says Demir. Nitrogen emissions received special attention in this file, she emphasizes. “The previously refused gas plants emitted at least twice as much nitrogen (NOx) and five to six times as much ammonia.” The installation will emit 655,000 tons of CO2, which is much less than the rejected gas plants.

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According to De Tijd, the favorable decision is the first time in twenty years that a cracker can be built on the European mainland that converts ethane into ethylene, one of the basic raw materials in the chemical industry for plastic production.

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The project – which should provide 450 direct jobs – ran into strong resistance from environmental organizations for years.

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The new cracker – Project One – requires an investment of three billion euros and, according to experts, means an enormous reinforcement of the chemical sector in the port of Antwerp. It houses one of the largest petrochemical clusters in the world.

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The project – which should create 450 direct jobs – collided for years on strong resistance of environmental organizations, which meant that new permits had to be applied for several times.

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Minister Demir said this earlier about the nitrogen agreement:

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