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INEOS Receives Module for Project ONE

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Kate Rainford

Kate is our Junior Writer at Tank Storage Magazine

INEOS has received the module containing the first two furnaces destined for Project ONE’s new ethane cracker at the quay of the construction site in Lillo, Antwerp, Belgium. The arrival of this module is an important milestone in the realisation of INEOS’ investment in a new chemical plant in Antwerp. The furnaces form the heart of the ethane cracker under construction: in the furnace section, ethane is converted to ethylene by bringing the ethane to a high temperature in the presence of steam.

Weighing 6,000 tonnes, more than 32 metres wide and 60 metres high (as high as Antwerp’s Museum aan de Stroom), this is one of the largest and most spectacular industrial ship transports ever in the port of Antwerp. The monetary value of the module with two furnaces is also considerable: it amounts to as much as €150 million.

John McNally, CEO of INEOS Project ONE says: ‘The arrival of the first furnaces at the Antwerp site after a long overseas journey is a spectacular and joyous moment for everyone involved in the making of our project. It cannot be ignored: Project One is no longer a virtual project on paper, but is increasingly gaining a foothold in the port. It is hugely motivating to see a plant actually rise after all these years of preparation. A lot of work has been done in 2024, but by 2025 the centre of gravity of construction activity will be fully in Antwerp.’

Project ONE is also generating a lot of activity outside Antwerp. As many as 10 000 workers worldwide were mobilised for the construction of the new plant. A large number of these were at work in the module yards in Thailand, Abu Dhabi and the Philippines, a phase that is now gradually being completed. A total of 10 million man-hours were performed at the Thailand yard.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges, adds: ‘The arrival of the first furnaces for Project ONE marks a crucial milestone for Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the European chemical sector. This project not only strengthens Antwerp’s role as a strategic hub, but also helps anchor a forward-looking and sustainable industry in Europe. This investment is necessary for the European economy and we are therefore proud to see this progress at the port and look forward to the further realisation of this pioneering investment.’

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