INEOS Project ONE: final cracker modules reach Antwerp after Strait of Hormuz delay
- First of two final Project ONE modules arrived in Antwerp after months being detained in the Strait of Hormuz; the second is due shortly.
- One module is 6,920 tonnes and 55 metres high; the second module weighs 7,200 tonnes.
- Approximately 2,500 workers from some 80 contractors are on site, with more than 14 million man-hours recorded to date.
- Mechanical completion is scheduled for next summer and start-up of the cracker is targeted for the second half of 2027.
Arrival and transit
The first of the two remaining process modules for INEOS Project ONE has arrived at the Port of Antwerp after being built in Abu Dhabi and detained for months due to the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The two ships passed the strait during a one-week ceasefire in mid‑June and reached Antwerp six weeks later via the Suez Canal; the second module is expected to arrive shortly.
Modules and placement
The delivered module weighs 6,920 tonnes and is 55 metres high; the final module weighs 7,200 tonnes. The vessel will remain moored while the steel transport protection is removed before each module is placed into position at the heart of the plant.
Site activity and construction model
INEOS used a modular construction approach, allowing overseas assembly in parallel with civil works in Antwerp; the final Abu Dhabi site was phased out in the first quarter of this year and activity is now concentrated in Antwerp. With civil works complete, focus is on mechanical, electrical and instrumentation installations.
Workforce, commissioning and schedule
About 2,500 workers from roughly 80 contractors are on site, with over 14 million man-hours recorded. Current work includes laying some 1,250 kilometres of instrumentation and electrical cables, leak testing and completion of buildings such as the administrative offices, control room and warehouses. The 380 kV main substation was commissioned to provide permanent power. Mechanical completion of the whole site is scheduled for next summer, with start-up of the cracker targeted for the second half of 2027.
Source: INEOS