The chemical group Ineos is building the most sustainable ethylene cracker plant in Europe in the port of Antwerp and, at EUR 5 billion, is making the largest investment in the European chemical industry for over 20 years. The terminal operator PSA Breakbulk, a joint venture between the Felbermayr Group, Haeger & Schmidt Logistics (HSL) and PSA Antwerp, is taking over the exclusive collection and provision warehouse for the gigaproject.
Just under 100,000 m2 of space is available at PSA Breakbulk’s Churchill Dock exclusively for Ineos’ project cargo. “The project has really taken off since the beginning of the year,” reports Dennis Verbeeck, Managing Director of PSA Breakbulk, pointing to the jetties, “we have handled around 30 fully loaded RoRo and heavy lift vessels for Ineos there since the beginning of the year.” The freight arrives from all over the world – led by the Far East – but manufacturers from the Middle East, Turkey, Spain and Italy are also suppliers.
Exclusive collection and provision logistics
However, the terminal service provider is not only responsible for the impressive handling of high-weight freight with individual weights of up to 1,000 tons. PSA Breakbulk is an official contractual partner of Ineos as a collection and staging warehouse. The terminal thus acts as a link between the various players, such as transport and logistics companies, construction and engineering firms and other service providers, and coordinates all activities on the site. “Project Cargo Ecosystem” is what Verbeeck calls the expertise that his company has built up in order to bundle such projects with handling, hinterland connections, heavy cargo handling and integrated transport concepts.
Felbermayr with equipment on board
For handling, Verbeeck relies on the “Big Felb”, the impressive heavy-lift crane, which can lift even “the thickest lumps” professionally and safely. In addition, there is various heavy-lift equipment from the Felbermayr Group, such as Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT) – modular vehicles with their own drive. In addition to the up to 60 PSA Breakbulk employees, Felbermayr personnel are also involved, contributing their crane expertise in handling the heavy, high-quality and sensitive individual parts. “The weights vary between 100 and 1,000 tons. Some consignments are up to 100 m long,” explains Verbeeck.
Just-in-sequence storage
As soon as the incoming inspection has been completed, the project parts are temporarily stored “just in sequence”. “Just like a jigsaw puzzle, we have to make sure that the pieces fit together perfectly. The individual elements are stored in the order in which they can be directly processed,” explains Verbeeck. This is done during pre-assembly at Churchill Dock by the various construction companies and engineers who work hand in hand with PSA Breakbulk.
By pontoon to the nearby chemical cluster
The partially assembled construction elements are then loaded onto a floating pontoon and delivered to the construction site just six kilometers away via the port, independent of the tides. The Ineos extension is part of the Antwerp petrochemical cluster. This is the second largest in the world after Houston. The “Go Live” for Ineos’ most sustainable ethylene cracker plant is planned for 2028. “For the terminal operator PSA, which has many of its own sites worldwide, Ineos is also a flagship project that could be used as a model for other major construction projects in Belgium or in other ports around the world,” says Verbeeck, referring to the integrative approach of the joint venture.