Induss Builds Dedicated Water Plant in the Heart of Antwerp’s Petrochemical Industry

Cost-Efficient and Secure Supply of Demineralised Water in the Port of Antwerp

1. The Challenge: Cost Control and Secure Supply

The Scheldelaan is a true hotspot of (petro)chemical activity in Antwerp, Belgium. Many multinational (petro)chemical players and refineries have a plant there, strategically clustered along the banks of the river Scheldt in the heart of the Antwerp port.

An essential aspect of the (petro)chemical production process is the use of demi water(deionised/demineralised water). Historically, almost every plant along the Scheldelaan managed its own demi water production, and did so in redundant quantities to ensure production continuity.

This actually meant that neighbouring plants were each spending time, money and people on demi water production, resulting in a constant overcapacity not just per plant but for the whole cluster along the Scheldelaan.

Naturally, Antwerp’s petrochemical companies strongly wished to lower their production cost of demi water (after all a non-core activity for them), while maintaining supply at all times in the required quantities. Together with Induss, they explored their options.

2. The Answer: Induss I, a Dedicated Water Plant

With maximum involvement of all partners (but minimal required time effort on their part), Induss conducted an in-depth study of all requirements, concerns and possibilities. The outcome was a quite radical proposal, which all companies involved have accepted: complete outsourcing of demiwater production by the majority of plants along the Scheldelaan to Induss I, a dedicated demi water plant in the heart of the petrochemical cluster.

As water expert, Induss will design, build, finance and operate the demi water plant and simply charge each plant for the volumes of demi water it consumes. The plan includes a full distribution network to every plant involved, ensuring the necessary redundancy and therefore reliability.

Construction of Induss I is scheduled to begin autumn 2010 and will take less than a year to complete. 

3. The Benefits

Below are some of the main ways in which the Induss Iwill benefit the (petro)chemical plants along the Scheldelaan.

1. demi water production will no longer be a concern for individual plants/companies. This non-core activity will be completely outsourced to Induss, exchanging the fixed CAPEX cost of infrastructure for a variable OPEX cost of demi water volume consumed. This enables the participating companies to focus their investments on their core business only, while Induss offers a watermanagement solution based on economies of scale.
2. The Induss water plant and distribution network will ensure the same or greater redundancy as today, so plants are guaranteed their supply. Additionally, Induss provides back-up services (e.g. mobile units) and 24/7 network monitoring.
3. The water plant will lower each company’s TCO (total cost of ownership). The main areas of cost improvement will be the use of energy and chemicals, environmental taxes, and actual demi water intake (more effective than on-site production).
4. Induss will manage the whole of environmental, tax-related and administrative requirements surrounding the demi water plant, its operations and its intake by the respective companies.
5. Induss will be able to minimise or even avoid the presence of its employees on the companies’ sites.
6. Induss I will be located in the very heart of Antwerp’s petrochemical cluster, enabling a dense and effective distribution network.
7. Induss I will feature more advanced water management technology than the individual plants have installed today, raising output quality and efficiency and minimising energy and waste disposal.

Frans Dieryck, Managing Director Essenscia Vlaanderen, had the following to say about this significant project: “We warmly welcome initiatives like this Induss DI water plant and network. Our member companies continuously seek to improve their operational efficiency to compete with emerging countries. By investing in this water plant and network in the Port of Antwerp, Induss offers a very concrete support to our members in their ever-growing economic and ecological challenges. At the same time, this project helps anchor the (petro)chemical industry here in Belgium.”