{"id":50228,"date":"2026-04-21T13:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T11:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/?post_type=blog&p=50228"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:51:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T11:51:17","slug":"sweco-supports-messer-benelux-permitting-process-for-new-air-separation-plant","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/en\/news\/sweco-supports-messer-benelux-permitting-process-for-new-air-separation-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweco supports Messer Benelux permitting process for new air separation plant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Messer Benelux has obtained the final permit for the construction of a new air separation plant in the port of Ghent. Sweco successfully supported this complex permitting process.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With an investment of \u20ac60 million and the creation of 30 additional jobs, Messer is reinforcing an important industrial anchor in Flanders. The new facility will produce oxygen, nitrogen and argon: essential gases for sectors such as chemicals, food and healthcare.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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From strategy to permit with Sweco Loket<\/h2>\n

Securing this permit required close collaboration between Messer and Sweco. Risks related to permitting feasibility were carefully assessed. In an adapted design, Messer therefore switched to a closed cooling system, eliminating the need to extract or discharge canal water.<\/p>\n

The permitting landscape in Flanders is becoming increasingly complex: stricter requirements, more appeals and broader environmental impact procedures make every application more challenging. Sweco\u2019s approach, bundled in the integrated Sweco Loket, offers major added value.<\/p>\n

By combining technical expertise, legal knowledge and proactive permit management through Sweco Loket, the process became transparent, robust and predictable. We ensure that procedures, studies and reports are perfectly aligned. This increases the likelihood of success and avoids costly delays.<\/p>\n

High-tech production of oxygen, nitrogen, argon and strong CO\u2082 capture expertise<\/h2>\n

Messer is one of the world\u2019s largest players in industrial gases and has strong international expertise in CO\u2082 recovery. In Belgium, the company currently operates two installations for capturing and purifying CO\u2082: at INEOS in the port of Antwerp and at Alco Bio Fuel in Ghent.<\/p>\n

Messer supplies essential gases that help make industrial processes cleaner and more efficient. Oxygen is used to optimise combustion processes and reduce emissions, while nitrogen is widely applied in the food industry to extend shelf life by removing oxygen from packaging.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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First air separation plant for Messer in Belgium<\/h2>\n

The planned air separation plant in Evergem will be Messer\u2019s first in Belgium. Despite the challenging industrial context, the company remains confident in the Belgian market. Belgium has a broad and strong industrial base. Although currently under pressure, Messer believes in a long-term recovery.<\/p>\n

No supplied raw materials are required for production. The installation will use ambient air, which is cooled and physically separated into its main components, including oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The facility itself will operate entirely without fossil fuels and will maximise the use of renewable electricity.<\/p>\n

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Green light for construction in 2026<\/h2>\n

With the permit secured, Messer plans to start construction in mid-May 2026 on the former Langerbrugge power site. Commercial start-up is scheduled for 2028. The facility will play an important role in supplying essential gases to industry and healthcare in Belgium.<\/p>\n

Sweco Loket strengthens complex permitting projects<\/h2>\n

Our integrated approach and the interaction between design and permitting create dossiers that are technically strong, legally robust and efficient throughout the approval process. Through Sweco Loket, we streamline the full permitting journey:<\/p>\n