August 6, 2025 13:52

Following the delivery of the furnaces, the C3 splitter — a key component of the new Project ONE petrochemical complex — has reached the Port of Antwerp in recent days.
Bound for Ineos’ massive ethane cracker in Lillo, the splitter is the tallest structure on site, measuring nearly 100 meters.

Transported via a massive pontoon barge through the Kanaaldok and under the Noordlandbrug, the column was offloaded near the construction zone, where it will be hoisted into its final position this August by a heavy-lift crane named Strong Sofie. Once erected, the splitter will become a defining feature of the industrial skyline.

The splitter plays a critical role in the cracker’s operations. During the ethane cracking process, a mixture of hydrocarbons is produced, including the so-called C3 fraction, which contains both propane and propylene — two chemically similar substances with distinct applications.

The splitter separates them through high-temperature distillation. Due to the narrow difference in boiling points (36°C for propylene, 46°C for propane), the process requires a very tall distillation column, which explains the splitter’s imposing height.

Managed by Ineos Olefins Belgium, Project ONE involves a €4 billion investment to build a 1.45-million-ton-per-year ethane steam cracker.  Mechanical completion is expected by late 2026, with commissioning set for early 2027.
According to Ineos, once operational, it will be the most efficient and sustainable cracker in Europe, with up to three times fewer carbon emissions than the industry average and half the emissions of the continent’s most efficient existing plants.

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