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Frequently
Asked Questions

  • 32. Will Project ONE receive government support?

    We have to make a distinction between subsidies and guarantees.

    • Subsidies. To date, no subsidies for Project ONE have been paid out by the government. There are, however, a number of support possibilities from the Flemish government for specific efforts. INEOS must meet the conditions like any other company, including the European and Flemish regulations.
    • If in the future there will be subsidies, this will be for training and education of employees or the limitation of the environmental impact, and this according to the government regulations that are the same for all companies. In this way, INEOS would be able to claim one-off support from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Vlaio) for Project ONE totaling a maximum of 8 million euros.
    • In addition, INEOS can receive up to 8 million euros annually for its research and development efforts on all its sites (not only Project ONE).
    • Guarantees. This is a system in which the Flemish government (via PMV) supports certain financial risks of companies. These are also transparent and uniform procedures for all companies that want to make use of them. They are market-based financial instruments that the government uses to make crucial investments in the economic fabric of Flanders succeed. Here, too, conditions are attached for the company, for example in terms of employment in Flanders. Such guarantees are also internationally customary financial instruments for projects of this nature.
  • 13. When will Project ONE be completed?

    Before we can start building on Project ONE, we must first finalize the design of the installation and obtain the necessary permit from the government.

    We expect to be able to start building early 2023, and that the installations will go into operation by mid 2026.

  • 12. How will INEOS limit inconvenience to the neighborhood?

    Logistics and transport

    During Project ONE’s construction, maximum use will be made of ship transport to minimize the burden on road traffic in the neighborhood. A modular design was chosen, whereby large modules are produced off-site and then transferred by ship to the site in Lillo. In this way, we can significantly reduce both the construction time and any local inconvenience.

    Ethane, the raw material of the Project ONE installation, is supplied by ship. When the installations are put into operation, the ethylene produced will be transported via pipelines: the safest and most ecological method of transport, which relieves road traffic as much as possible.

    Noise – light – odour

    We’re striving for the lowest possible noise emissions during the construction of the installation. The use of ground flares will limit visible flare activity. The elevation flares serve primarily as a safety system and will only be used to start up and shut down the installation or in the event of a major malfunction. The high reliability requirements of the production units should minimize the need for flaring. The nuisance of odour is not expected: the planned water purification installation will break down the sulfur compounds from the ethane cracker in a closed installation.

    Protecting nature and biodiversity

    The existing vegetation (trees and gorse) on the industrial site – which must be removed to prepare the ground for construction – will be more than compensated for. In order to protect and relocate biodiversity, a large number of measures have been provided for during the construction phase – the relocation of the hairy wood ant and orchids, the preservation of a natural corridor on the site, etc. We are working on these things with the port and independent organizations that are responsible for the conservation of nature.

  • 11. How is INEOS taking questions and suggestions from local residents into account?

    INEOS wants to design a project that contributes to the prosperity of the region.

    For the Project EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), we organized a voluntary consultation in April 2020, whereby it was possible to submit proposals regarding the content and methodology of this notification. The public responses that were submitted have been included by the administration of the Flemish government in the development of the scoping advice.

    We are also a member of the Chemical Advisory Board, through which we periodically enter into dialogue with the residents of the surrounding residential areas of Stabroek, Berendrecht and Lillo.

    Via this website, we also want to keep the neighborhood informed of the further progress of the works, as we strive to minimize any inconvenience.

  • 10. What phase of the process is Project ONE now in?

    Today, we are studying and designing the industrial installations, and the permit procedure is in progress. We expect to be able to start building in the first quarter of 2023 and to have the installations ready by mid 2026.

    In the meantime, we are already recruiting employees. If you wish, you can apply to work on Project ONE. We are looking for engineers, operators, technical profiles, and other employees. There are currently about 100 employees working at Project ONE.

  • 9. Have the works already started?

    The project is still in an early stage. We are currently studying and designing the installations and applying for the permits to build Project ONE. We expect to start the early works in the last quarter of 2022 and the construction of the cracker in the course of the first half of 2023.