News

Smart Delta Resources Flanders has developed into an independent collaborative platform where industrial partners, public authorities, network operators, knowledge institutions and the port work together to accelerate the energy and raw materials transition. SDR Flanders brings partners together around shared transition challenges and creates the groundwork for insights, trust and collaboration to flourish. The implementation of projects always remains the responsibility of the companies involved.

Over 660 journeys a day. That is the number of lorry journeys for incoming and outgoing goods and products – covering some 21,000 km, the majority of which are currently carried out by diesel lorries – that Volvo Car Gent generates every day on and around its site in the port area. To make these operations more sustainable, safer, but above all more efficient, the car manufacturer wants to test whether some of these journeys could be carried out autonomously in the future.

In recent years, Smart Delta Resources Flanders has grown into a key collaborative platform for industrial players in the Scheldt Delta region. In this retrospective, Manfred Van Vlierberghe, former chair, and Carl De Maré, former director, share their insights on why SDR Flanders was needed, how collaboration in the region has changed, and what they believe must absolutely be preserved for the future.

Yesterday, a new public charging hub for electric trucks was inaugurated at the Volvo site in Ghent. The infrastructure was developed by Milence, in collaboration with the Volvo Group. The charging site is an important part of a broader zero-emission mobility hub in North Sea Port, where Air Products is building a hydrogen refuelling station at the same location.

North Sea Port is taking an important step towards enabling the bunkering of LNG, hydrogen, methanol and ammonia in Ghent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen. An independent risk analysis confirms that this can be done safely and efficiently, both truck-to-ship and ship-to-ship, and provides clarity on the conditions under which bunkering can be tested safely.

The Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Delta region is developing into a strategic hub for hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure in North-West Europe. This infrastructure is an essential condition for competitiveness, cross-border cooperation and industrial transition.

During the Zeeland Day in The Hague, held at Nieuwspoort and organized by the Province of Zeeland/OZO, Smart Delta Resources hosted the themed session "Zeeland Industry and Strategic Autonomy." In the presence of administrators, policymakers, and industry representatives, the focus was on one central question: how can the Netherlands—together with Flanders—strengthen its strategic autonomy through strong industrial clusters?

LBC Tank Terminals (LBC), Associated British Ports (ABP) and North Sea Port have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) terminal and shipping corridor connecting Northwest Europe with the UK. 

In the heart of North Sea Port, fertilizer producer Yara Sluiskil is working on an impressive vision for the future: creating a strategic European hub for fertilizer, ammonia, hydrogen, AdBlue, and CO₂ storage. The company is spearheading the world's first and largest cross-border Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) project.

ENGIE is testing a demonstration plant for CO₂ capture (CCU) at the Knippegroen power station in the port of Ghent. The aim is to determine whether it is technically and economically feasible to extract CO₂ directly from industrial flue gases.

On Monday 15 December 2025, construction of the new Baekeland high-voltage substation in Ghent officially commenced. The 380/150 kV substation along the R4-East will be an important link in Belgium's electricity supply, playing a crucial role for the port and surrounding industry.

The new Chair in Dissolution Recycling of Plastic Waste has been officially launched at Ghent University. Funded by the Province of Zeeland and PSLoop, the chair brings together science, industry, and policy to develop innovative solutions for plastic waste and build circular value chains.