The permit for BASF's steam cracker in the Port of Antwerp expires on 26 January 2026. The company has therefore submitted a renewal application. Today, Bond Beter Leefmilieu and Dryade submitted a response to the consultation. “We are not against the cracker, but we have serious questions about its sustainability. We ask BASF for a concrete investment plan to reduce nitrogen emissions and to phase out the use of fossil fuels and raw materials. The application is currently too non-committal. A significant part of the Flemish industry depends on the BASF steam cracker, so it is in everyone's interest that it meets environmental, climate, and raw material requirements.”
A tough nut to crack
BASF's steam cracker was built in the 1990s and processes the petrochemical raw material naphtha into ethylene. This is then used in various other processes, including on its own site.
Today, this file faces a major renewal challenge. BASF is one of the largest nitrogen emitters in Flanders and pollutes, among other areas, the Kalmthout Heath and the Brabantse Wal with its 723 tons of nitrogen. At the same time, the company is one of the largest consumers of fossil raw materials and fuels. The steam cracker emits approximately 1.5 million tons of CO2 annually.
Sustainable industry must become the obvious choice
The transition to a clean industry is high on the political agenda. BASF can and must address its harmful impact, both in terms of the environment and climate. The existing cracker must be made as smart and efficient as possible. For the site in question, BASF refers to a CCS-LoTOX process, which means that both CO2 and nitrogen will be captured and stored. However, these intentions are non-binding and not for tomorrow: they would only be implemented after 2036.
“The nitrogen crisis in Flanders and the Netherlands is immense,” states Dries Verhaeghe from Dryade. “BASF pollutes more than other Antwerp crackers and has a large share in the nitrogen deposition in the surrounding natural areas. Therefore, we are requesting a permit with clear deadlines and objectives.”
In 2018, BASF had a greenhouse gas emission of 4.2 million tonnes. By 2026, this is expected to be halved, as director Jan Remeysen stated strongly. In 2022 , the company must immediately step up its efforts. Today, their climate roadmap is hardly credible. BASF is putting all its eggs in the basket of carbon capture and storage.
The Netherlands aims to eliminate fossil resources by 2050. What does Flanders want?
The biggest elephant in the room is the issue of fossil resources. The BASF cracker consumes no less than 3.25 million tonnes of naphtha annually. The permit application shows little ambition to reduce the use of this fossil resource, which is desperately needed to increase the share of recycled plastics in the Flemish market.
Not good for the Flemish reputation as a circular frontrunner: only 5% of our plastics are made from renewable raw materials, while in the Netherlands this is 11% and in Germany even 21%. But it is also not good for our strategic autonomy: dependence on fossil raw materials makes the Flemish economy vulnerable. The importance of circularity for strategic autonomy is also emphasised in the industrial plan of Minister Diependaele. We encourage BASF to explore which alternatives are possible now and in the future.
“We are not against the squatter, but we have serious questions about future viability. For our strategic autonomy, we need to reduce our dependence on fossil raw materials. There is an urgent need for a vision at the Flemish level,” concludes Kira Van den Ende from Bond Beter Leefmilieu. “Flanders has the experience, knowledge, and capacity to become a leader in green and safe chemistry in the coming decades. Strong policy guidelines are now needed to attract the appropriate investments.”
For this, we received support from the Healthy Air Fund, an initiative of Greenpeace Belgium
