With the switch to a circular economy and major investments in the energy transition, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. As a company with an important social role, we have every interest in limiting our impact on the climate.
As an energy hub, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the place where the energy transition is taking shape.
Wind turbines and solar panels generate power on a large scale. We are introducing alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and converting them into sustainable raw materials and fuels for the chemical sector in the port. We are committed to sustainable industry, shipping and logistics, with a focus on the environment.
The wind turbines in the port generate power for terminals, ships and local residents in an environmentally friendly way, without burning fossil fuels.
Wind turbines often supply the locally generated energy directly to businesses.”
Today there are already many wind turbines in our port and they make an important contribution to green energy.
Zeebrugge
Antwerp
The solar park at ADPO in Kallo is a special solar-powered technology. The mirrors generate green heat based on concentrated sunlight. A first for Europe!
Antwerp is home to the world's second largest chemical cluster. This produces an awful lot of heat. Port of Antwerp-Bruges is aiming to limit the loss of industrial residual heat by reusing it.
We are researching a range of concepts for using industrial heat commercially and supplying it to buildings in the city and the port. We are doing this in collaboration with industry, the government and other social actors in the Antwerp-North Heat Network project.
ECLUSE supplies residual heat to surrounding port companies via a steam network. The heat from six incineration plants is reused in industrial processes, and serves to heat buildings.
In the long run, 100,000 fewer tons of CO2 will be emitted each year.
In Northwest Europe, it is impossible to generate all the required energy locally from renewable sources. As such, highly concrete plans are on the table to import hydrogen, produced with green energy from countries where there is abundant sun.
Deme, Engie, Exmar, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and WaterstofNet as industrial players and public stakeholders, are bringing their expertise together in the hydrogen coalition. Pioneering together we are throwing our weight behind practical projects for shaping the production, transport and storage of hydrogen.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges will also play a key role in the production of green hydrogen.
Landing energy from offshore wind farms and state-of-the-art LNG infrastructure makes Zeebrugge the ideal location for a green hydrogen plant. Fluxys and Eoly are planning to construct a plant here that will produce green hydrogen from 2023.
The NextGen District in Antwerp is an incubator for innovative, sustainable and circular chemistry. The former Opel site, occupying approximately 88 hectares, will therefore be given a new purpose as the new hub for the circular economy.
Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Total are joining together to investigate Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) in Antwerp@C . The aim of this project is to capture half of the CO2 emissions at the port with CCUS by 2030.
If this infrastructure can be realised, it will benefit the industrial port community and make a valuable contribution to the Flemish, Belgian and European climate objectives.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges and ENGIE, Fluxys, Indaver, INOVYN, Oiltanking and the Flemish Environmental Holding Company (VMH) are committed to producing sustainable methanol with the ‘power-to-methanol’ project. Methanol is an essential raw material used in industry.
Construction of a demo plant will start on the INOVYN site in Antwerp in 2022. The site will produce 8,000 tonnes of sustainable methanol annually by reusing captured CO2 in combination with sustainably produced hydrogen.
Over 90% of the world's trade goes via sea and this requires colossal amounts of fuel. On 1 January 2020, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) decided that the sulphur content in marine fuels worldwide must not exceed the 0.5% threshold. Consequently, sales of clean marine fuels (Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) are on the rise.
On the other hand, these regulations have also driven the demand for alternative fuels such as LNG (liquefied natural gas). Antwerp and Zeebrugge are in an even more strictly controlled emission control area. This means that ships running on conventional fuels such as bunker oil must now run on fuel that contains a maximum of 0.1% sulphur.
Bunkering is refuelling for ships. Every year, ships are estimated to bunker more than 6 million tons of fuel at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. With this position, we want to take a leading role in getting ships to run more and more on more environmentally-friendly fuel.
For example, we are working on the transition to a multi-fuel port with alternative fuels that generate fewer CO2 emissions and are better for the climate and air quality. LNG is already a reality today and we are working to provide ample supply of methanol, hydrogen and electric power.
Shore power allows ships ashore to shut down their engines or generator and connect to the grid. Where shore power is available, it is prohibited to use the generator. This reduces emissions (NOx, SOx and particulate matter), improves air quality and reduces noise pollution.
Barges have been able to connect to shore power when berthed for several years now. Not that many seagoing vessels are yet equipped for shore power. Substantial technical facilities are required for it, both on board the ship and on the quay.
So by offering shore power for seagoing vessels, we want to break the 'chicken or egg' situation. That's why we are working on rolling out shore power for seagoing vessels in the near future.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges has its own fleet of tugs, dredgers and enforcement vessels. We are reducing energy consumption by operating the existing fleet at lower revs.
In addition, we are systematically replacing the fleet with a more economical and environmentally friendly type of vessel. For example, we have ongoing projects with hydrogen and methanol-powered tugboats.
The hydrogen-powered tugboat is a world first. The internal combustion engines that drive this ‘Hydrotug’ run on hydrogen in combination with diesel. The engines will comply with the strictest standard, the EU Stage V, making them the most emission-efficient engines on the market.
The enforcement vessels on the other hand are hybrid and powered partly by electricity.
