The Flemish government on Tuesday designated Fluxys to operate a new carbon dioxide pipeline network within the Port of Antwerp, a critical infrastructure project designed to help heavy industry meet tightening climate targets.

The network, which will be managed by a Fluxys subsidiary, provides a centralized "open-access" system for companies across the port. 

The infrastructure allows industrial facilities to capture carbon emissions and transport them to the North Sea, where the CO2 will be permanently stored in depleted subsea gas fields.

Construction on the terminal and pipeline system began nearly a year ago. Unlike private, single-use lines, this network is designed for use by multiple businesses, creating a shared utility for the region’s massive industrial hub.

Flemish Energy and Climate Minister Hans Bonte emphasized the strategic necessity of the project for sectors that struggle to decarbonize through electrification alone.

"The project will help industries reduce emissions significantly," Bonte said, noting that sectors like steel and cement production cannot fully eliminate CO2 output. "This makes carbon capture and storage an essential solution for our climate goals."

The operator is majority-owned by Fluxys, the Belgian natural gas transmission system operator, with the minority stakes held by the Pipelink and the French industrial gas giant Air Liquide. 

This partnership marks a significant shift for Fluxys as it pivots from traditional fossil fuel transport toward "green" molecules and carbon management.

The Antwerp project is part of a broader Belgian strategy to become a European hub for carbon management. Fluxys has already been tapped to manage similar CO2 infrastructure throughout the country.

Further expanding this reach, the federal government recently approved plans for a massive subsea pipeline linking Belgium to Norway. 

The project will allow CO2 collected at the port of Zeebrugge to be piped directly to Norwegian offshore storage sites, creating a cross-border carbon highway.