Antwerp Furthers Plans for Sustainable Methanol Production

The port of Antwerp has established a consortium dedicated to the sustainable production of methanol, an essential raw material used by industry in the port.

The consortium includes ENGIE, Fluxys, Indaver, INOVYN, Oiltanking and the Vlaamse Milieuholding (VMH). Construction of a demonstration factory on the INOVYN site on Scheldelaan is set to begin by 2022. The factory will produce 8,000 tons of sustainable methanol annually.

The port houses the largest European integrated energy and chemical cluster, but methanol is currently produced from fossil raw materials. The 'power-to-methanol' project will be a first for Belgium. The aim is to produce sustainable methanol by reusing captured CO2 in combination with sustainably produced hydrogen.

Each partner has its own role in the project. For example, ENGIE has knowledge of the electricity market, Oiltanking provides advice on the logistical aspects of methanol production and storage, and Indaver provides expertise on the capture of CO2. Fluxys brings infrastructure experience and expertise on the certification of green gases. The Flemish Environmental Holding will be involved in financing, while Port of Antwerp bridges the gap between private companies and the government. INOVYN, a subsidiary of INEOS, is providing the site and offers expertise in electrolysers and operation of chemical installations.

The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.