The Antwerp Port Authority has issued a new Request for Proposals (RfP) for the Churchill Industrial Zone in the port area, specifically aimed at ‘circular economy’ projects.
“Circular economy” refers to the re-use of by-products and waste flows as alternative sources of chemical feedstock (raw materials).
With the new RfP for the Churchill Industrial Zone, the port authority seeks to attract a project that will match these principles of the circular economy.
MSC notified the port authority at the end of 2013 of its aim to move its freight handling activities from the Delwaide dock on the Right bank of the Scheldt to the Deurganck dock on the left.
Technical Paper: Port of Antwerp: 3 Foundational Pillars
The reasons for the move given by MSC included the Delwaide dock having reached its maximum capacity together with the increasing unsuitability due to the difficulty of getting ever-larger mega-carriers through the locks.
The Port Authority decided to agree to the MSC request in mid-2014, and an RfP was issued for the 'Delwaide Dock South & North-East' zone.
Around 10 project proposals were received for the zone at the beginning of 2015. In view of the potential value of the waste-to-chemicals project submitted by Energy Recovery Systems (ERS), the port authority decided to further negotiate with ERS with a view to signing a concession agreement.
RfPs open on April 12, 2016 and will close one month later.
