International Year of Chemistry. Antwerp, champion in chemistry

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1 International Year of Chemistry Antwerp, champion in chemistry

2 Wouter De Geest CEO of BASF Antwerp, Chairman essenscia homas Vanhautte Jimmy Kets Antwerp: home port for the chemical industry Antwerp is home to the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe. In addition to its conventional port activities Antwerp plays a significant role as a distribution hub and petrochemical cluster, thanks to its multifunctional capabilities. Growth of the port and of industry go hand in hand Port, industry and distribution all complement and support one another in all sorts of ways. Not surprisingly, therefore, the port of Antwerp has developed into one of the world s largest clusters of chemical production and distribution. i Port and industry Antwerp handles a freight volume of around 180 million tonnes annually, making it a world-class port. With a good balance between containers, liquid bulk, dry bulk and breakbulk, Antwerp is a port that can handle anything. he good maritime connections combined with excellent hinterland links make Antwerp a highly efficient logistics hub. But Antwerp is more than just a maritime hub or logistics platform. It is also an industrial complex without equal in Europe. he oil and chemical industries located there use the port as a logistics platform for obtaining raw materials and shipping out their products. But more than that, these companies themselves generate cargo, so that growth of the port and of industry go hand in hand. i Chemicals and distribution hanks to its central location and its strongly developed infrastructure Antwerp has grown into a European distribution hub for chemicals. Again and again, independent reports confirm that the North of Belgium (where Antwerp is situated) is the most attractive location to set up a European distribution hub. Indeed, 60% of European purchasing power is to be found within a radius of 500 kilometres around Antwerp, representing the largest one-day-travel market in the world. Antwerp, a port that can handle anything i An important player In addition to the significant role that the chemical industry plays as a port user for loading, unloading and distributing its goods, it is also an important player in terms of job creation, added value and investment. he chemical industry in Antwerp accounts for 42% of direct employment within the port. And when we look at added value the figure is as high as 52%. Moreover the industry is also the biggest investor in the port of Antwerp, responsible for a good 68% of all capital expenditure there. i Reliance on HSE Good results for HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) are crucial in an industrial cluster such as Antwerp. hanks to the constant attention paid to safety, the Belgian chemical industry can rightly claim to be one of the safest, with accident rates far below the European average. In the field of the environment too, the Antwerp companies score well. heir energy consumption per tonne of product manufactured is similarly well below the average, and in fact the Antwerp companies are world leaders in this respect. hese excellent results are due first and foremost to the high level of training in combination with innovative technology. he European chemical industry is experiencing a growing trend towards clustering, in which BASF plays an active part. Antwerp is a textbook example of clustering I n 1964 BASF began its search for a suitable site with sea access under the appropriate name of Project North Sea. he choice fell on Antwerp, for a number of reasons. One of the decisive factors was the geographical situation of Antwerp and the location where BASF was able to set up. he accessibility by different modes of transport thanks to excellent infrastructure is undoubtedly an important strategic advantage. he prime examples are sea transport, barge transport, road and rail. Additionally, a well developed pipeline network is very important for the chemical industry, and Antwerp scores highly in this respect. As a company we continue to make use of these strategic advantages, investing further in development of our onsite infrastructure, both as regards utilities and as regards inward and outward transport of raw materials and finished products. Examples include new process water facilities, modern loading systems for logistics, expansion of the port infrastructure and development of the Combinant rail terminal. It is also crucial for the government to continue investing in good accessibility. he importance of the cost competitiveness that results from integration throughout the chain of production and value creation, and the synergies that can be achieved by strong logistics, services, utilities and infrastructure, will all be crucial factors in deciding whether to run down the chemical industry in Europe or to further expand it. In the European chemical industry we see an increasing trend towards clustering, with existing clusters continuing to grow and the supply chains within and between such clusters being further developed. Antwerp is now a textbook example of such a cluster. Let us work together to establish it permanently. 2 3

3 Rainier van Roessel Member of the management committee of the Lanxess Lanxess investing heavily in growth he chemical industry is in a state of constant development, with companies investing in new production processes and products. Lanxess is a good example of this. A s a chemical group Lanxess has deep roots in the port of Antwerp. he butyl rubber plant in Zwijndrecht was the first chemical operation to start up on the left bank, forming the basis for what has become the second largest chemical cluster in the world. S ince 2004 Lanxess has invested more than 250 million euros in its four plants in the Antwerp port area, the group s second largest production site. And we are continuing to invest, for example in Zwijndrecht, where 20 million euros has been put into expanding the production capacity for butyl rubber to nearly 150,000 tonnes annually. Meanwhile in the caprolactam plant in Lillo we are investing 35 million euros in expanding the annual capacity to 220,000 tonnes. he investment plans have also been completed for replacing the two furnaces in the glass fibre plant. In Kallo we have a unit for producing the rubber chemicals used in processing rubber articles. he site in Kallo has sufficient space to attract new companies for co-siting, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and services. L anxess bases its strategy on four megatrends mobility, agriculture, water and urbanisation that will help to determine the future. his echoes the motto Chemistry our life, our future of the. ake hightech plastics, for example: they make cars lighter, so that they consume less fuel and put less strain on the environment. Milestones for the Antwerp chemical cluster Control room: the chemical industry offers a wide range of jobs and opportunities otal he high degree of integration and wide diversity of products that currently characterise the Antwerp chemical cluster find their roots in the period immediately after the Second World War. It was then that a solid foundation was laid for what has now become the largest petrochemical cluster in Europe and the second largest in the world. BASF he early years Antwerp was an important hub for oil products right from the beginning of the 20th century. he petroleum port was at that time located to the South of the city, in an area now known as Petroleum South. But the first investments in the oil sector also took place to the North of the city, with the first refinery being built beside the 4th Haven dock. his was the start of a flourishing oil and chemical sector Integrated right from the beginning Integration was the order of the day right from the beginning. SIBP and Esso Belgium selected Antwerp as the location for their respective refineries in 1951, and were also partners in the first two steam crackers (built in 1963). With their by-products they attracted numerous other companies such as Union Carbide and Amoco Fina to the location beside the Marschall dock. hat same year also saw the first port developments on the left bank of the Scheldt with the arrival of Polysar Belgium. In the years that followed this area saw the development of more and more chemical and petrochemical companies Rapid expansion in the North he construction of Canal docks B1, B2 and B3 brought the development of an integrated industrial area extending towards the Dutch border on the right bank. Bayer, Monsanto, BASF, Solvay, Degussa and Air Liquide located here between 1966 and 1971 in the area between the Scheldt and the dock complex Left bank almost fully occupied n the 1970s the left bank of the Scheldt was entirely occupied by chemical companies such as Haltermann, Rhône Poulenc, Bayer and Aqualon Maximum integration In the last years of the century more and more companies strove for integration. Shell and Borealis set up the joint venture North Sea Petrochemicals in 1990, while Kuraray and Nippon Shokubai integrated with the Ineos site on the left bank. okyo Kasei Europe for its part built a distribution centre for specialty chemicals Further expansion and focus on ecology In the first years of the new millennium the Antwerp cluster developed further with expansion among the existing companies. BASF invested more than 1 billion euros in its Antwerp site, Evonik devoted the group s largest investment to its Antwerp plant, and Ineos Phenol doubled its production capacity in the Antwerp cluster. he tank storage sector followed suit, doubling its storage capacity. he focus increasingly came to be on sustainable enterprise, which frequently took the form of collaboration between neighbouring companies. he opening of the Deurganck dock on the left bank was of great importance for logistics, enormously expanding the overall capacity of the port of Antwerp. Sustainable growth Most of the expansion of the cluster s capacity has taken place within the existing port area. With the Saeftinghe Development Area, Antwerp Port Authority and the Left Bank Development Corporation now offer space for expansion of the port towards the North, with the focus on sustainability and multifunctional capability. Meanwhile the Port Authority will begin construction of a second lock on the left bank. he new lock will be the largest in the world, making the port area on the left bank even more accessible. 4 5

4 A chemical cluster where diversity is reality he Antwerp chemical cluster is not only one of the largest, it also excels in diversity, as probably the most diversified cluster in the world. he long tradition of the Belgian chemical industry finds expression in Antwerp as a highly integrated and extremely diverse cluster where production and logistics go hand in hand. he recipe for a sustainable future. i Antwerp s position in Belgium Belgium has long been a major chemical producer. Leading scientists such as Ernest Solvay, Lieven Gevaert and Ernest Baekeland put the country on the international chemical map as far back as the early 1900s. his long tradition in the chemical industry has nowadays resulted in leading positions in various fields. For instance, Belgium is the world s N 1 chemical producer in terms of output per capita. Furthermore, 75% of the largest chemical companies in the world have one or more plants in Belgium, mostly in the Antwerp port area. And those that do not have a production plant in the Antwerp cluster nevertheless use Antwerp as a logistics hub. Finally, the proportion of the total Belgian economy represented by the chemical industry is the largest in Europe, in fact twice the European average. he centre of gravity of Belgian basic chemistry lies in Antwerp. Building on the raw materials brought in through the port or produced by the refineries, the Antwerp chemical cluster has developed into an exceedingly diverse production platform. BASF he Antwerp cluster comprises a great diversity of production platforms Lanxess i he Antwerp Integrated Model At the basis of the Antwerp petrochemical industry lie four refineries and four steam crackers. hree of the latter are located on the site of Fina Antwerp Olefines (FOA), a joint venture between the two largest refiners in Antwerp, otal and ExxonMobil. he fourth cracker, which is also Europe s largest single train cracker, is integrated with the BASF site. ogether these facilities represent the largest concentration of ethylene production in Europe. A long tradition and highly trained personnel he stable, local availability of basic feedstock such as ethylene, combined with the reliable supply of raw materials by sea, rail, barge and pipeline, has enabled the Antwerp chemical industry to develop into the largest chemical cluster in Europe and a major world player. Integration within the cluster goes far beyond the level of refineries and crackers. 88% of all transfers of industrial goods within the port are by pipeline. One plant s end product is frequently another s raw material, and co-production is the norm. he HPPO process developed by BASF in collaboration with Dow for production of propylene oxide is a good example of this. Within this collaborative Peter Nagler Senior Vice-President Innovation Management Chemicals and Creavis at Evonik Degussa Innovation is the lifeblood of the chemical industry. Evonik is a textbook example of a company where innovation plays a crucial role. Open innovation, one of the advantages of Antwerp I nnovation is crucial for our company. It s a very wide concept that goes much further than Research & Development. Even though our Antwerp plant does not have its own R&D department, it is nevertheless highly innovative. For example, the isobutene installation that we recently opened derives its innovative character from the newly developed catalytic process. And it doesn t end when the installation is built, as the people on the shopfloor continue to improve the system bit by bit. We call this incremental innovation, and Antwerp scores well here because of the high level of training of the local workforce. Indeed, the high skill level of employees is an advantage for the future. A ntwerp has another big advantage in the form of its chemical cluster. Open innovation, as developed within the Suschem and FISCH platforms, is a welldefined concept for us. We take our own competences as our starting point, but at the same time we are open to the complementary know-how of our partners. he extensive mix of companies in the Antwerp cluster makes it possible for us to build up strong alliances, such as with Oiltanking. One of Evonik s sources of growth is the globalisation of technology, and in that respect the Antwerp cluster really excels. I am very confident about the future of chemistry, both in Antwerp and in Europe. We have a strong foundation with highly trained personnel and good scientists. But the environment in which we operate is constantly changing, and that demands a high degree of flexibility of everybody involved to appropriately respond to new challenges. 6 7

5 relationship BASF and Solvay invested jointly in production of hydrogen peroxide (HP). BASF and Dow subsequently invested in further processing of HP into propylene oxide (PO). o supply the hydrogen necessary for the HPPO process, Air Liquide invested in a hydrogen production plant. And to generate maximum synergies, all the investments were concentrated on the BASF site. Collaborative arrangements are to be found in many areas. hese range from shared transport services for employees (the I-Bus project) to active searches for co-siting possibilities, with a third party being fully integrated on the host s site. hus Monsanto, Bayer, Ineos and Lanxess may make part of their site open to an appropriate guest who either utilises the existing infrastructure or acts as a supplier or consumer of the substances produced on the site. Another example is Induss. his company recently started a project for supplying process water to various other operators. he waste water processing company Indaver too started as a collaborative venture between a number of private companies working for the Flemish government, and eventually developed into a leader in its sector. But collaboration is not limited to production companies. Logistics operators too look for opportunities to collaborate. he joint venture between Oiltanking and Stolthaven is a good example of this. Oiltanking is the secondlargest tank storage company in the world. At the beginning of this century its Antwerp site entered into a collaborative venture with Stolthaven, the tank storage arm of Stolt, one of the largest parcel tanker operators. he result of this collaboration is perfect coordination between terminal and shipping company. Finally, we also see collaboration beyond the boundaries of logistics and production. he LPC- Cespa terminal on the Bayer Antwerp site illustrates this perfectly. Cespa, the southern European producer of acetone and phenol, was looking for a hub in the ARA (Antwerp-Rotterdam- Amsterdam) region so as to be he high degree of integration and diversity throughout the chain of value is unique in the world Synergy in energy, process integration and logistics creates competitive cost efficiency RAW MAERIALS FEEDSOCKS BUILDING BLOCKS COMMODIIES INERMEDIAES FINAL PRODUCS production facilities in the port 1 BASF site (BASF, Air Liquide, Dow, Solvay) 2 Belgian Refining Corporation (Petroplus) 3 Solvay 4 Ineos Polyolefins 5 Monsanto site (Monsanto, Solutia, Flexys, Ferro, National Starch) 6 Evonik Degussa site (Evonik Degussa, Oxeno, Vertellus Specialities Belgium) 7 Bayer 8 Lanxess 9 otal Refinery Antwerp A Fina Antwerp Olefins (otal, ExxonMobil) B Esso Refinery (ExxonMobil) C otal Petrochemicals D APC E Hercules F Ineos Phenol G Monument Chemical H Lanxess site (Lanxess, Lubrizoil) I Hexion Specialty Chemicals J Borealis K Ineos Oxide site (Ineos Oxide, Nippon Shokubai, Eval Europe, Praxair, Borealis, Seppic, Specialty Polymers Antwerp, Dow, General Electric) L Exxon Mobil Chemicals M Lanxess Rubber N 3M O Q8 Petroleum P AAB he Netherlands Belgium C 1 C 2 C 3 Natural gas, Crude oil, Condensate Natural gas, Crude oil, Condensate Natural gas, Crude oil, Condensate Methane, Refinery residue C2-C3, Naphtha C2-C3, Naphtha Synthesis gas Ethylene Propylene, Propane Methanol Formaldehyde Glues, Resins Ammonia, Nitric acid PE, EDC, VCM Ethylene oxide Polypropylene Propylene oxide, Acrylic acid Urea, AN, CAN, UAN PVC, Glycols, EVOH, Ethyl, NBO, Glycol ethers Polyols, SAP Fertilizers Polymers, EPDM, Copolymers Polymers e.g., Polyurethane EHYLENE PRODUCION IN EUROPE (ONNES/YEAR) Evonik Antwerpen Integration is a key concept in the Antwerp chemical cluster C 4 Crude oil Refinery off-gas, Naphtha Mixed C4 Butadiene Polybutadiene Acrylonitrile, Butadiene, Styrene 2500 C 6 Crude oil Naphtha Benzene, oluene Cyclohexane, Caprolactam, Aniline BPA, Nylon 66, MDI Polycarbonate, Polyurethane C 7,8 CI Crude oil Naphtha Mixed xylenes O, P-Xylene PA, PA PE Sea water, Brine Chlorine, NaOH EDC, Phosgene VCM PVC, MDI, Hypochlorites Plastics, Polyurethane, Bleach Ship, pipeline, barge Pipeline, barge, rail Rail, road Mainly road 0 Antwerp, B erneuzen, NL Wesseling, D arragona, E Geleen, NL Laverra-Berre, F Cologne, D Gelsenkirchen, D Grangemouth, UK Gonfreville/N-D Gravenchon, F Moerdijk, NL Wilton, UK Products manufactured within the cluster Source: EPCA, Results of the hink ank Sessions, Aug 07 Source: APPE (Association of Petrochemicals Producers in Europe)

6 Kees van Seventer Commercial President of Vopak he Antwerp chemical cluster has a wide choice of logistics service providers. Vopak is a world player. Antwerp as a major part of our worldwide strategy A ntwerp is not only one of the most important hubs for our core business, it is also a major part of our worldwide strategy. European ports remain useful because of their large chemical industry concentrations, and for us Antwerp scores particularly well in this respect. In Antwerp, Vopak is primarily a logistics service provider for the chemical industry. he footprint of the chemical industry within the port is extremely important for attracting freight flows, combining them and creating trade hubs. Antwerp excels in all these aspects. he logistics location and the good connections make Antwerp very attractive as a port. But for us as a company it s equally important to work in an environment in which we are able to grow. he role of a professional, future-oriented Port Authority that weighs up all the options and makes good choices cannot be underestimated, and I can safely say that Antwerp stands out here. W ith its efficient, reliable and safe service Vopak Antwerp has managed to acquire a solid position in the distribution pattern of the producers, and has become an essential part of the supply chain. It s a great compliment when large shipping companies praise our terminal on the left bank as one of the most efficient in the world, but this efficiency primarily generates cost savings for our customers. A ntwerp is putting great efforts into efficiency, and as we look towards the future there are two things in particular that are important for Vopak. he first of these is good organisation of the access infrastructure. he construction of a second lock on the left bank is particularly welcome in this respect. he second is that we are very keen to invest, grow and above all take the opportunity to help develop on the left bank. closer to its customers. Bayer Antwerp, which consumes these products, allowed the terminal to be built on its own site. o generate sufficient advantages of scale the terminal was built in collaboration with an independent tank storage company, LBC, which also provides storage here for third parties. his led to the LBC-Cespa terminal being set up on the Bayer Antwerp site. i Node Located at the crossroads of the western European pipeline network, Antwerp is a major node of the wider western European chemical industry. As the gateway to Europe and a strong local production cluster in its own right Antwerp acts as the supplier to other clusters located deeper in the hinterland. hus the PALL (Pipeline Antwerp- Limburg-Liège) supplies the Sabic cracker complex in Geelen with gas condensate that is brought into the port of Antwerp. As Europe s largest producer of ethylene Antwerp is also connected to the ARG (Aethylen-Rohrleitungs-Geselschafft) ethylene pipeline network that connects the Belgian, German and Dutch chemical industries. From Antwerp there are also numerous other pipelines in the direction of erneuzen, Rotterdam, Feluy and the Rhine-Ruhr area, leading to strong integration with the chemical industry in these places as well. Pipelines are not the only transport mode by which the Antwerp cluster supplies the hinterland. As a major barge port Antwerp offers daily barge departures towards Rotterdam and the Rhine. he more than 60,000 barges that call at Antwerp annually provide efficient, congestion-free connections with the hinterland. he same applies to Antwerp s rail links. hanks to regular shuttle services the Antwerp producers and terminals have direct connections to more than 40 hinterland destinations. In the deregulated rail market where more than 10 operators are active, frequent use is made of block trains. And for those who do not have sufficient volume for a block train there are numerous possibilities to make use of the distributed transport system. i Main European distribution hub Antwerp occupies a prominent place in logistics related to the chemical industry, both for bulk goods (liquid and bulk) and for breakbulk. For liquid bulk the Antwerp tank storage operators offer more than 1,500 tanks with a total capacity of nearly 5 million cubic metres (2010). Meanwhile, a wide range of dangerous goods warehouses provide storage of packaged chemicals. he various dry bulk operators for their part are specialised in handling fertilisers, minerals and powders. And the more than 1,000 plastics silos make Antwerp the European polymers hub. Antwerp lies at the centre of the western European pipeline network, and also offers a wide range of barge, rail and road connections Whether for gases, liquid chemicals, petroleum products, powders, plant oils or plastics, there is always a terminal in the Antwerp port area that can handle the substances in the required manner. he logistics possibilities are extremely varied. Not only is the port of Antwerp the world leader in stainless steel tank capacity, but also the tank storage and logistics companies offer a wide range of services such as drumming, blending, warehousing and storage. Not surprisingly, therefore, Antwerp is viewed as the main European distribution hub for the chemical industry. i Distribution advantages While the various distribution facilities in the port of Antwerp are now available to the entire western European chemical industry, they arose in the first place to serve the local industry. As the gateway to Europe and a strong local production cluster in its own right Antwerp acts as the supplier to other clusters located deeper in the hinterland Indeed the local industry has always been highly varied in its makeup. hanks to the many possibilities for importing raw materials or producing them locally, Antwerp has developed into what is nowadays probably the most diverse chemical cluster in the world. he Antwerp chemical companies cover practically every step in the industry s chain of value, supplying a range of products that are involved in all aspects of our daily lives: from insulating materials to raw materials for lipstick, from chicken feed to fertilisers, from lubricants to the plastics from which Lego bricks are made, and from the plastics used in water pipes to the absorbent material in diapers. No matter what you think of, it s sure to have its origins in the port of Antwerp

7 Chemistry is everywhere he, organised to mark the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for chemistry being awarded to Marie Curie, is an important celebratory year for the international and Belgian chemical industry. Yves Verschueren, CEO of essenscia, the federation of chemistry and life science industries, explains the reasons behind this, in answers to four questions. Yves Verschueren, CEO essenscia Chemistry also means innovative developments for a more sustainable society Yves Verschueren What does the International Year of Chemistry mean for essenscia and the chemical industry? Yves Verschueren: he Year of Chemistry is an opportunity for essenscia to highlight the enormous social, economic and ecological impact that the chemical industry has on our lives. Chemistry forms an essential part of our daily life, not only through the substances that we use but also through the innovative developments that we are making towards a more sustainable society. It is unfortunate that this progress is often overlooked, so that the general public sometimes has a less favourable perception of the chemical industry. But by giving people the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes we can convince them that chemistry does not deserve this negative image. We are aiming in particular at young people. We need them, because they are our future employees. We have to convince them of the usefulness of studying scientific and technical subjects. What impact does chemistry have on our daily lives? Yves Verschueren: In one way or another chemistry plays a role in 90% or so of all products on the market, frequently without us being aware of it. o realise this you just have to take a look at the industries that make up our federation. hey include not only plastics producers but also manufacturers of shampoo, toothpaste or simply soap. he construction industry is another sector where chemicals play an essential role, for instance in paint, insulating materials and varnish. And in the garden too, the products of our members can be found in the form of fertilisers, soil improvers, pesticides, herbicides and many other applications. Perhaps the most important sector in which we are present is healthcare. Examples include drugs, drips, medical equipment and biochemical products. But beyond this, chemistry has a huge economic impact on our lives. he chemical industry in Belgium employs some 90,000 people directly and another 150,000 indirectly. One third of this employment is located in the Province of Antwerp, which of course is due to the presence of a chemical cluster that is one of the largest in the world. And because these jobs create high added value, the wages that they earn are particularly attractive. his in turn has a knock-on effect on the purchasing power of our community. Belgium is actually the biggest chemical country in the world in terms of output per capita. How does essenscia see the future of the chemical industry? Yves Verschueren: he chemistry of the future will inevitably be different from the chemistry that we are familiar with today. he key features will be sustainable use of inputs, more recycling and the search for new raw materials. hrough the Flanders Initiative for Sustainable Chemistry (FISCH) the chemical industry and the Flemish government are working to build the foundations of the chemical industry of the future. he principles of sustainability are being applied to projects on the ground. he role of FISCH is to get these projects quickly up to cruising speed so that we can further develop the chemical industry in our region and give it a firm basis. In one way or another chemistry plays a role in 90% of the products used in daily life 12 13

8 Carl Van Camp Senior Vice-president of otal Petrochemicals Only a few big players are present throughout the chain of value. otal is one of them. Integration and clustering as key concepts otal is active throughout the chain of value, from exploration to refining, marketing, chemicals and petrochemicals, with in parallel a division that deals with new sources of energy. Integration and clustering are key concepts for our company. otal focuses primarily on large, integrated platforms, often located on the waterfront as in Antwerp. But it is also important for us to be as close to the customers as possible, so we can offer quick service. Antwerp sits at the intersection of pipelines such as the ARG pipeline to Germany, making it ideal for gaseous products. For solid products there are the well-developed inland waterway, road and rail networks connecting it with the hinterland. We expect the government to take the necessary measures to prevent the latter two modes being choked by congestion in future, so that we can continue to make maximum use of them. he chemical industry in Europe mainly has to compete with imports from the Middle East, which is not an easy task. But as a local player you nevertheless have a number of advantages. Naturally, conditions in the future will have to remain constant, with simple regulations, general stability, a network of efficient service providers and highly trained personnel. In Antwerp we have the additional advantages of a hub with well developed infrastructure and all the necessary logistics facilities, as well as having the full chain of value in the immediate vicinity. We as a company want to stay here as long as possible, provided of course that Europe in general and Antwerp in particular opts for an industrial policy with high added value. his also means promoting interest in industrial careers. Flanders does have many highly qualified people, but continuing to attract talent is a must for the sector. essenscia essenscia essenscia essenscia he message is to promote enterprise and creatitivity among young people. he Creativity Marathon for 5th and 6th year secondary school pupils was a great success. 15 teams whose members did not know one another were given 24 hours to think up solutions to existing problems posed by the industry. he subjects were: water (BASF Antwerp), energy (otal Petrochemicals), health (Janssen), foodstuffs (Evonik) and natural raw materials (Proviron). he winning team was presented with a ticket to the European final by the Flemish minister-president Kris Peeters. he Biggest Lab in Flanders, a new world record at the initiative of essenscia and echnopolis (Flemish action centre for science and technology) formed the starting point for Chemistry Week in February. Led by the American chemistry professor Bassam Shakhashiri, 562 enthusiastic pupils from 18 primary schools made bath salts, hair gel and toothpaste. What activities are planned for the Year of Chemistry? Yves Verschueren: he Year of Chemistry was launched on 11 January in the presence of Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme. At the beginning of March we organised Chemistry Week when young people aged 10 to 18 were able to experience the wonderful world of chemistry. During that week essenscia was able to reach more than 7,500 young people with events such as the Biggest Lab in Flanders, a Creativity Marathon and spectacular chemistry shows given by the American Professor Shakhashiri. On 27 April essenscia is organising a national event at Living omorrow in Vilvoorde. his is an ideal opportunity to highlight the innovative role of chemistry and life sciences. hen on 21 and 22 May we are giving local residents and other interested people the opportunity to look behind the scenes in our companies. hey will be able to see what goes on in a chemical company, how safety and respect for the environment are assured, and which substances are used. With 60 or so companies taking part this promises to be the flagship event for our industry. On 25 October we will present our second sustainability report, going into greater detail about the three pillars of sustainable development, namely People, Plant and Profit, to which a fourth P is being added, namely Products. At the end of November we have the AGM of essenscia Flanders and Wallonia. Finally, the year will officially close on 1 December at a ceremony held in the presence of EU Commission chairman José Manuel Barroso and a member of the royal family. his event will be held in Brussels, the birthplace of Ernest Solvay

9 Sustainable growth he Antwerp chemical cluster continues to expand. By focusing on intensive collaboration and sustainable enterprise, the cluster is able to ensure ecological development that enjoys broad social support. Christian Jourquin Chief Executive Officer Solvay he chemical companies have made great efforts over the years to achieve sustainable development of the sector. Solvay is able to present a number of impressive projects. Sustainable development as strategy S ustainable development is very important for Solvay. In fact it is an essential component of the group s strategy. By developing products and processes with a smaller energy footprint we aim to offer a response to the current global challenges. In 2008 we voluntarily committed ourselves to a number of objectives. hese include a 20% reduction in worldwide energy consumption, total emissions of greenhouse gases, atmospheric emissions and effluent emissions by 2020, and reducing the number of accidents to zero. Solvay is active in many fields. A good example is our HPPO plant on the BASF Antwerp site (in collaboration with Dow Chemical and BASF). his is the largest plant in the world for producing hydrogen peroxide for the propylene oxide chain, using an innovative process with lower consumption of energy and raw materials. In fact energy consumption is cut by one third, while the amount of waste water is reduced by 70 to 80%, and there are no by-products. his development is a good illustration of creativity in the Antwerp chemical cluster. Here we have the necessary industrial installations, the mutual interdependence, the know-how and the experienced personnel necessary to test the results of scientific research in a safe, efficient way and develop them into sustainable industrial technology. Solvay is a very active member of the European echnology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (Suschem) and the Flanders Initiative for Sustainable CHemistry (FISCH). hese initiatives capitalise on the mutual interdependence within the chemical cluster. In fact the presence of other chemical companies is a strategic advantage. A strong cluster makes the individual companies stronger and creates new possibilities. I n the next few months we will put the world s largest fuel cell into operation here in Lillo. his will enable us to convert hydrogen into clean electricity, with water as the only by-product. his demonstration facility gives us the opportunity to develop fuel cell technology on an industrial scale, making the hydrogen economy a reality. Economic growth is only possible in the long term if it is sustainable. his applies to the chemical and petrochemical industries as much as any other. he production companies in the Antwerp chemical cluster fully understand this, and indeed are gradually becoming world leaders in terms of energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is constantly being raised through construction of hypermodern cogeneration systems i Energy efficiency he chemical industry is an energy-intensive sector. Despite this, energy efficiency has steadily improved over the past few years, in terms of the quantity of energy required per tonne of output. In Belgium the specific greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of product manufactured have decreased by 60% over the past 20 years. Specifically for the port of Antwerp, total industrial emissions have declined by 40%, while total production capacity within the port area has increased by 10% in the same period. hese reductions have been achieved through constant investment in more efficient processes. At the same time Antwerp is now home to one of the largest concentrations of cogeneration (combined heat and power) stations in Europe. i Ecological results In addition to greater energy efficiency the chemical industry has another great advantage: the products that it manufactures offer solutions that are essential for a sustainable society. According to the most recent sustainability report by essenscia (the Belgian federation of chemical and life science companies) for every tonne of CO ² emitted in manufacturing chemical products, 2.6 tonnes are saved by using these same products. he greatest CO ² savings are achieved by insulation materials, phytosanitary chemicals, fertilisers, new forms of lighting, plastic packaging and antifouling paint for ships. i Collaboration in all aspects he chemical industry devotes considerable efforts to sustainable growth, going far beyond simply reducing CO ² emissions. Emissions of NO2 and particulates have also been significantly cut down. his has been made possible by among other things applying new, innovative technology and by collaboration between companies. Exchanging products permits efficient use of waste materials and energy. As previously mentioned, the collaboration goes farther than production activities and extends to shared use of water purification and waste processing installations. he cluster is supported in all these efforts by Antwerp Port Authority, which tries to convince everyone of the importance of sustainable enterprise and the role that the chemical industry can and wants to play in this respect. he Port Authority acts both as an initiator and as an intermediary, aiming to play a pioneering role with innovative projects such as a waste heat network that recovers low-grade heat, a biomass power station and the largest wind farm in Belgium. Another example is the port-wide sustainability report, a joint initiative by the Port Authority, the Left Bank Development Corporation and the private companies within the port. Innovative technology and collaboration for further sustainable development of the chemistry cluster 16 17

10 Joost Van Roost President of ExxonMobil Benelux Energy efficiency is becoming more and more important for companies and governments alike. ExxonMobil, the world s largest privately-owned oil and gas company, has been convinced of its importance for years. Energy efficiency as top priority A s an oil and gas giant ExxonMobil operates worldwide in production, sale and distribution of oil and gas. We re also big in chemistry. In Antwerp we have a major refinery and petrochemical production plant. As a large player we have a good overview of energy developments, and we expect demand for energy to expand by 1.2% annually. he challenge that we now face is to supply that additional energy while reducing emissions and raising energy efficiency. he latter is particularly important because energy that is not used is always the best source of energy, as well as causing less emissions. Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in industry through cogeneration, or combined heat and power. his involves generating electricity while at the same time producing the steam that is used for ExxonMobil In 2008 ExxonMobil started up a huge cogen installation in Antwerp. he higher energy efficiency avoids emissions of 200,000 tonnes of CO ² annually, equivalent to the emissions of 90,000 cars production processes. Around the world ExxonMobil has stakes in 100 cogen installations with a combined capacity of 4,900 megawatts. I n 2008 ExxonMobil put a large cogen unit into operation in Antwerp. he increased energy efficiency affords CO ² reductions of 200,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to the emissions of 90,000 cars. ExxonMobil makes such investments in its plants because they will continue to be important in future. Fossil fuels remain necessary, in particular for transport, as there is no alternative available that is both economically feasible and available on a large scale. Meanwhile, chemical products will play an increasingly important role in our society. ExxonMobil sees Antwerp as a very attractive industrial and logistical location. Indeed, it recently inaugurated yet another new investment here, namely an installation that produces cleaner diesel, enough to supply 2 million cars. Port Authority invests 1.6 billion euros Eddy Bruyninckx CEO of Antwerp Port Authority he industrial sector in the port of Antwerp generates added value of 4.3 billion euros annually (source: NBB, 2008). his cluster has a big impact on our economy and welfare. As a Port Authority we wish to collaborate with it, think ahead and follow a policy that supports the chemical cluster. A number of large investments are planned for the next few years, mainly projects to improve the accessibility of the port and upgrade its infrastructure, both on the seaward and on the landward side. Efficiency is only possible if the logistics aspect runs smoothly, and that in turn demands sufficient capacity for moving goods in and out. Over the next 15 years we will invest no less than 1.6 billion euros. hese investments will not only guarantee shipping access, with among other things a second lock on the left bank, but will also improve the hinterland connections. he Flemish government too is investing in accessibility, with its Mobility Master Plan. hese investments will have a positive effect on all transport modes, including road, rail and water. he Liefkenshoek rail tunnel, for instance, will permit congestion-free connections between the right and left banks of the Scheldt. he Iron Rhine and a second rail link are also on our list of priorities. he same applies to the joint vision for pipeline transport that we aim to further develop in collaboration between Flanders, the Netherlands and North Rhine Westphalia. P rivate companies also must be given the opportunity to grow and to expand their activities. here too, we as the Port Authority have a futureoriented vision. he Saeftinghe Development Area to the North of the port on the left bank offers the necessary possibilities for expansion of logistics, industry and port activities, with more than 1,000 hectares. he otal Plan for a more competitive port, i.e. the action plan supported by the Port Authority and Alfaport (the association of private companies within the port), has once more demonstrated how unique the port of Antwerp is. he interplay between industry, logistics and port activities has made Antwerp the world-class port that it is today. Now with the otal Plan there is renewed élan within the port community, the collaboration is yielding concrete results, and supply-chain-thinking is more central than ever. Our motto is Strong through collaboration : that s how a port continually reinvents itself. he Netherlands he Netherlands Liquid Bulk: ank storage companies 1 ADPO 2 Antwerp Gas erminal 3 APC 4 IC Rubis erminal Antwerp 5 LBC Antwerp 6 LBC Ertisa Antwerp 7 Noord Natie erminals / A4S 8 Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp 9 Sea ank erminal A Sea ank erminal (oo See) B Vesta erminal Antwerp C Vopak erminal ACS D Vopak erminal Eurotank E Vopak erminal left bank otal: 1,560 tanks / Biggest concentration of stainless steel tanks worldwide Belgium Current and future investments in infrastructure 1 Improved shipping access via the Scheldt 2 Construction of a second lock on the left bank 3 Saeftinghe Development Area 4 Construction of Liefkenshoek rail tunnel 5 Completion of the Antwerp ring road 6 Higher barge capacity Belgium 18 19

11 Antwerp Antwerp Port Authority Port House 1 Entrepotkaai 2000 Antwerp Belgium F E Info@haven.antwerpen.be Port representatives Brazil Madeleine Onclinx E onclinx@terra.com.br China Jan Van der Borght E jan@you-qiao.com.cn Stephen Yen E stephenyen501@hotmail.com Germany Dieter Lindenblatt E dieter.lindenblatt@portofantwerp.com India Raj Khalid E raj.khalid@gmail.com United States Eddy Dekkers E isoeddy@aol.com Colophon Responsible editor Kurt uerlinckx Design Catapult, Antwerp Paper Arctic he Volume (FSC-certified) April Cover: Jimmy Kets