Warsco delivers 1,500 units for the Ineos chemical group’s site

Project One is the largest investment in the European chemical sector in the past 25 years. The new ethane cracker in Antwerp is set to have by far the lowest carbon footprint of all European cracking facilities, thanks to the use of the latest techniques and maximum energy efficiency. For instance, hydrogen, which is a byproduct of the cracking process, will be reused as a low-carbon fuel.

The entire project is priced at around 4 billion euros. The construction was announced in 2019, and the works to prepare the land started in the summer of 2022 after Flemish Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) granted the permit. The total construction duration is estimated to be four years, with the plant set to start at the end of 2026. The project will create 450 new jobs, and at the peak of construction, over 2,500 people will be working on-site.

Site Containers

To provide offices and site containers for the army of construction workers and technicians, Warsco from Genk was called upon for its expertise. “After a thorough procedure, the delivery of 1,500 units was awarded to us,” explains Marc Warson, CEO of Warsco. “Our capacity was ultimately the deciding factor. In October 2022, we received the green light, and a month later, we began production. It’s equivalent to 1,500 standard-sized units (6 x 3 m). However, because we are making them larger (9 x 3 m) and more sustainable for this project, it amounts to 1,200 units.”

Annual Production

For Warsco, this is truly a mega-order. “It’s more than our regular annual production, so we had to scale up. Fortunately, our machines are highly automated and can handle it. However, we will need more people for the assembly,” says Marc Warson. “Our units comply with strict EPB energy efficiency standards. The safety regulations are very stringent,” he adds.

Nearly 300 units are ready. From June onwards, they can be assembled on-site. The first units—essentially the site containers for the installation of the site containers—have already been delivered. The rental contract for the site containers and offices is for four years, worth 25 million euros for Warsco.

Scaling Up

“As a result of this contract, we had to let other potential orders go. For example, we didn’t bid for supplying units for the emergency village in Ghent. But with some careful planning, we are still able to serve our regular customers,” Warson emphasizes.

For Warsco, this is also a significant reference project. Warsco mainly supplies schools and contractors. “But hopefully, with this, we can also break into the petrochemical sector,” concludes Marc Warson.

Saturday in "Breakfast with the Boss" - Marc Warson: "It will take about ten more years before people will want to live in our units."