Decarbonisation hub for the industry

With Vopak Energy Park Antwerp, Vopak will offer companies in North-West Europe a strategic location for the import, storage and transhipment of sustainable energy sources and chemical products. The site also has space for CO₂.

Energy & climate

Strategic location

In May 2023, Vopak took over the concession for the former Gunvor refinery in Antwerp. The site was fully dismantled and remediation works are currently underway in order to develop the Vopak Energy Park Antwerp. The focus lies on storage projects for renewable raw materials and energy carriers. There are also options for offering production activities or additional services, such as liquefaction or purification.

“Vopak is an independent player, facilitating the energy transition with infrastructure, and multi-modal connectivity to the site,” explains Maxime Peeters, Business Developer for Vopak Belgium. The site has options for transport via train, roads, deep-sea and inland navigation and proximity to the future pipelines to North-West Europe for CO₂ and hydrogen.

Vopak terminal where they will offer companies in North-West Europe a strategic location for the import, storage and transhipment of sustainable energy sources and chemical products.

CO₂ as a key pillar

CO₂ forms an integral component of Vopak's strategy. “Depending on market needs, we can develop a CO₂import and export hub,” explains Jelle Dierckx, Commercial & Business Development Director for Vopak Belgium. “The CO₂ arrives at our site as a gas or in liquid form. We store this and can then purify or liquefy it. We then re-export the CO₂ to various end-points, such as gas fields in the North Sea or other final destinations.”

“We strive for the most competitive solution for our customers and are not stuck with one specific transport route, modality or sink,” explains Sander Marchal, Business Developer for Vopak Belgium.

Vopak is an independent player, facilitating the energy transition with infrastructure.

Maxime Peeters,Business Developer

Vopak Belgium

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Infrastructure of the future

Vopak Energy Park Antwerp aims to be a crucial link in the CO₂ value chain. To fulfil this role, the company would like to develop new infrastructure on the site. This will comprise (among other things):

Refrigerated, pressurised storage for CO₂ (cryogen) and the corresponding services.

Jetty infrastructure for unloading inland waterway vessels and loading sea-going ships which will take the CO₂ to the storage fields.

Train infrastructure for unloading trains, primarily interesting for the connection with industrial areas without a direct pipeline connection.

A direct connection with the future CO₂ backbone, allowing CO₂ to be easily transported to storage locations.

Depending on market needs, we can develop a CO₂ import and export hub.

Jelle Dierckx,Commercial & Business Development Director

Vopak Belgium

Tackling challenges by collaborating

Although the technological and logistical fundamentals are largely known, the roll-out of the CCS is dependent on various, external factors. The best method for tackling these challenges involves collaboration. "We take a very open stance when it comes to partnerships", explains Maxime Peeters. “The fact that we are an independent storage provider and are developing a multi-access, multi-customer hub means that we can and would like to collaborate with all the various players. We also aim to be a positive partner for the government in order to develop the right technical and policy frameworks."

Three men in suits on an empty plot in the harbor talking their aims to offer companies in North-West Europe a strategic location for the import, storage and transhipment of sustainable energy sources and chemical products.

Operational by 2029

In 2029, Vopak would like to have the first projects operational at Vopak Energy Park Antwerp. “We have already completed much of the work. The infrastructure that we will need, how we will store the materials, the modalities which come in and go out; these are all known and have been partially calculated,” says Jelle Dierckx. "In the coming months, we will be working on strong partnerships in order to be operational by the end of the decade."

Ready for the German market

The West German region will be an important market. In this context, the railway connections from the site will be an advantage. Sander Marchal summarises: “CCUS offers a solution for businesses to continue to operate within European regulations on sustainability. As a result of the location of Vopak Energy Park Antwerp and the accumulation of the volumes, both small and mid-sized companies in the German market can benefit from the decarbonisation solutions.”