On 11 July, Project ONE welcomed Oskar Seuntjens, federal representative and party leader, and Arne Donders, party staff member, from Vooruit for a Voka summer internship. They visited the INEOS Project ONE site and then stopped by INEOS Inovyn, accompanied by Philippe Heyvaert and Hendrik Caluwé from VOKA Antwerp-Waasland and VOKA National.
During part 1 of the internship, the visitors were given an explanation of the challenges involved in realising a greenfield investment such as Project ONE, including the difficult permit process. The unprecedented combination of difficult market conditions currently affecting the European chemical industry was also discussed.
The site visit offered a unique glimpse of the chemical plant under construction, to which 2,500 people and dozens of contractors, including many Flemish players, are contributing. The summer internship stopped at the imposing cracking furnaces and “Strong Sophie”, the mega crane used on the site for the heavier lifting work, also came into view.
The tour then continued to INEOS Inovyn, where the production of chlorine, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide from salt, water and electrolysis was explained and the salt mountain and electrolysis hall were visited. The rest of the visit focused on the site’s energy consumption and distribution, including a stop at the 150 kV electrical substation.
Finally, under the watchful eye of Quinten Hofman, production assistant, Oskar Seuntjens was allowed to purchase the energy for Monday’s consumption (see photo).
