Global energy company TotalEnergies has unveiled plans to increase investments in green hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its petrochemical refining site in Antwerp, Belgium.
The company will also phase out its oldest steam cracker at the site by the end of 2027 in response to changing market conditions, including a “significant surplus” of ethylene in Europe and the non-renewal of a third-party contract.
The moves will allow TotalEnergies to rely on its newer steam cracker, which supplies ethylene for its own polymer production units in Antwerp and Feluy.
“By adapting and investing regularly in our Antwerp site, we’re securing its long-term future and ensuring that this integrated … platform remains [our] most efficient in Europe,” said Ann Veraverbeke, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Antwerp.
TotalEnergies is also accelerating decarbonisation at the site through a 130 MW tolling agreement with Air Liquide, part of a 200 MW electrolyser project. The green hydrogen produced (around 15,000 tonnes per year) will be used at the Antwerp platform, with electricity supplied by TotalEnergies’ OranjeWind offshore wind farm, located off the Dutch coast.
Set to come online by the end of 2027, the project is expected to reduce CO2 emissions at the site by up to 150,000 tonnes annually, while contributing to EU transport decarbonisation targets under RED III. The directive aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030.
The platform will begin producing 50,000 tonnes per year of SAF via co-processing from 2025. By using existing refining units to co-process hydrocarbons and biomass, the platform can produce lower-carbon fuel.
Additional efforts at the site include process electrification and a 25 MW/75 MWh battery storage system, TotalEnergies’ largest in Europe. Commissioned last year, the system supports grid balancing and the integration of renewable energy.
