AP Moller to invest €1.5 billion on ‘fossil-free’ plastics plant in Belgium

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Denmark’s AP Moller Holding, the parent company of shipping company Maersk, plans to invest €1.5 billion to build a “fossil-free” plastics production plant in Antwerp, Belgium, via a new venture called Vioneo.

“The Antwerp plant will benefit from the region’s expertise in the chemicals industry, strong export facilities and access to renewable energy,” AP Moller said in a statement on 30 September.

The Vioneo plant is expected to use green methanol as feedstock to produce polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), with commercial operations slated to begin in 2028, the investment company said.

“Fully operational, the plant will be able to produce … 300,000 tonnes of fossil-free plastics annually, corresponding to a reduction of 1.5 million tons of CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions,” it said.

The plant will be located within the Antwerp energy park of Dutch logistics firm Vopak, with support from Vopak Belgium and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Project plans will take place in phases, with front-end engineering design (FEED) to begin in Q4 2024, and with the final investment decision (FID) expected in 2025.

In a separate statement, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges said that the project is expected to generate “significant job opportunities” during the construction phase and around 250 permanent positions when the plant is fully operational.

($1 = €0.90)