CO₂ pipeline between Zomergem and Gent Rodenhuize

Why is this infrastructure needed?

Fluxys is a key pioneer in the energy transition in Belgium and is joining forces with industry to develop infrastructure for transporting captured CO₂.

For many companies, capturing CO₂ is the only way to make their operations climate-neutral and so maintain local production and jobs. With this in mind, Fluxys is preparing the infrastructure required to remove captured CO₂ so that it can be reused by companies or safely and permanently stored.

Pipeline network for the Ghent port area

In the Ghent region, Fluxys is preparing to build a hydrogen pipeline and a CO₂ pipeline between Zomergem and the Ghent port area. The project is part of our two-pronged, nationwide approach to help drastically reduce CO₂ emissions:

1. As Belgium's hydrogen network operator, we provide the infrastructure to transport hydrogen from production sites to the companies that use it as low-carbon energy or feedstock.
2. At the same time, we build infrastructure to remove CO₂. This is important because, for many companies, capturing CO₂ is the only way to make their operations climate-neutral and so maintain local production and jobs.

Our infrastructure will convey their CO₂ either to safe and permanent subsea storage or to companies that will reuse the CO₂. The hydrogen pipeline between Zomergem and the Ghent port area is an important step in the implementation of the federal hydrogen strategy and the Flemish hydrogen vision. Moreover, our CO₂ pipeline is fully in keeping with the Flemish decree on conveying CO₂ in pipelines.

The pipelines will only be laid once all the relevant permits have been obtained.

Based on the lead times of the various permit procedures, work could start on the first section of the infrastructure from 2027.