Recent investments, multimodal solutions and sustainable initiatives demonstrate that this sector is constantly innovating, ready to meet the needs and requirements of the future.

LANXESS: long-term investments

LANXESS, a market leader in the field of speciality chemicals, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its caprolactam production site in Antwerp. This plant was a pioneer in the developing port area that went on to become the largest chemical cluster in Europe. Over the past half century LANXESS has produced 6.25 million tonnes of caprolactam, an important precursor product for the company’s high-tech plastics. At the celebration the company announced that it plans to invest 25 million euros in raising the efficiency of the site and thus making it more competitive.

Last year Total Raffinaderij Antwerpen (TRA) announced that it is going to invest no less than one million euros to further modernise its existing site. With this OPTARA project (Optimisation of the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp zone) the site will develop into a new refinery complex with innovative products. One of these will be diesel fuel with ultra-low sulphur content. In this way Total will contribute towards better and more sustainable energy.

In the past few years various other international chemical giants such as Air Liquide, BASF, ExxonMobil, Nippon Shokubai, ADPO, Oiltanking Stolthaven and more have announced other large investments in the port of Antwerp. Together these developments will set Antwerp even more firmly on the world map as the European investment location. 

Vopak: quadrupling its rail capacity

The tank storage company Vopak is building a brand-new loading station for filling rail tanker wagons with acetyls. These are the starting material for finished products such as dashboards, coatings, packaging and pharmaceuticals. The great majority of the production is in Germany, with the port of Antwerp acting as the consolidation and transhipment hub. The new loading station will increase Vopak’s capacity for block train connections with Germany by 400%.

“We are very pleased to be able to make this investment in a very modern, efficient loading station for block trains. It offers further logistical benefits for our customers, and reinforces the already strong position of Antwerp as the chemical hub for North-West Europe. The new facility will have the latest technology for safety and protection of the environment.” Manon Bloemer, head of Vopak Belgium.

Covestro: “Young Champions of the Earth” sustainability competition

Together with the United Nations, Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) is launching a sustainability competition for young people aged between 18 and 30. Competitors are invited to submit an innovative environmental project with a proposal to protect our planet and to improve the safety and the quality of life of millions of people. The winning project will be rewarded with 15,000 dollars of start-up capital and intensive support to help put the ideas into practice. The deadline for entries is 18 June, at http://web.unep.org/youngchampions/

The sponsor, Covestro, is one of the world’s largest producers of polymer products, used mainly for applications in the automotive sector. In Antwerp it produces polycarbonate and precursors for polyurethane. 

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