Industrial gas major Messer plans to invest €60m in a new air separation unit (ASU) at the Port of Ghent in Belgium. The plant will supply an undisclosed amount of oxygen, nitrogen, and argon to industries including healthcare, food production, and manufacturing.
The project is pending approval following previous permitting challenges. Concerns over per- and polyfluoroakyl, or PFAS, contamination from canal water use led Messer to withdraw an earlier application.
PFAS – often termed ‘forever chemicals’ due to their persistence in the environment – became a major issue in Belgium following contamination from 3M’s Zwijndrecht plant.
The US multinational, known for its industrial and consumer products, faced scrutiny after decades of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) emissions polluted soil and water. To mitigate risks, Messer has redesigned the facility with a closed-loop air cooling system, eliminating the need for canal water.
This is the privately owned Messer’s second ASU investment announced this year. In January, the company unveiled plans for a $70m ASU in Arkansas in the US.
In Belgium, demand is largely driven by the chemicals sector – one of the largest in Europe – and steel manufacturing. Both industries require a steady supply of oxygen and nitrogen.
Messer expects the plant to reach full operational capacity by 2035.
