Work on extending the Ecluse steam network from the left to the right bank of the Scheldt has reached a significant milestone. On Tuesday, October 14th, Flemish Minister for Energy and Climate Melissa Depraetere visited the site to inaugurate this technical achievement.
The Ecluse tunnel under the Scheldt River, the longest microtunnel in Belgium, transports heat from waste incineration to where it can be used effectively.
In the coming months, the tunnel will be equipped to house the steam pipelines that will transport energy recovered from Indaver and Sleco’s waste-to-energy facilities on the left bank to the first customer on the right bank, the German chemical company Evonik.
Chemical processes
At the so-called waste-to-energy site in Doel, Indaver annually converts one million tons of household and business waste into energy. Since 2019, this steam has been delivered directly to five neighboring companies in Waaslandhaven, who use it as needed in their chemical processes.
Evonik, which has a significant steam demand at its Antwerp site, can effectively use the heat from waste incineration, thereby reducing its CO2 emissions. Today, this steam demand is partly met by burning natural gas.
By connecting to the Ecluse network, Evonik can substantially reduce its natural gas consumption. This reduction is equivalent to the annual use of more than 38,000 households.
Energy transition in the Port of Antwerp
By using Ecluse’s steam, the site avoids 100,000 to 150,000 tons of CO2. By doing so, Ecluse actively contributes to the energy transition in the Port of Antwerp and the achievement of climate targets.
Ivan Pelgrims, Managing Director, Evonik Antwerp NV: “By meeting our steam demand largely with low-carbon energy from waste-to-energy, we are taking a major step toward our goal of 55% CO₂ reduction by 2030.”
Microtunneling
Microtunneling is a technique for constructing underground tunnels without digging trenches. The method is particularly suitable for drilling under roads, railways, and rivers.
Construction of the Ecluse tunnel began in March 2024, following years of preparation and careful planning. At 1,288 meters long, this will be the longest microtunnel ever drilled in Belgium. The tunnel has an internal diameter of three meters and provides additional capacity for future pipes and cables.
The ECLUSE tunnel was built in collaboration between private and public partners: Indaver, Sleco, Fineg, Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever (the Left Bank Company), and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, with support from the Flemish government.
