Recognizing that innovation and cooperation of business and community leaders is essential to the economy of the Gulf Coast region, the East Harris County Manufacturers Association (ECHMA) partnered with Essenscia, the Belgium Federation for chemistry and life sciences industries, to present “Synergies between two world-class innovative chemical hubs: Belgium and Texas”.
Held recently in Houston, Texas, the seminar addressed topics of interest to both Texas and Belgium, highlighting the comparable strengths of the Texas and Belgium chemical clusters, how to address pressing industry challenges like replenishing a retiring workforce and transportation issues, how innovation impacts investment decisions and more.
Monty Heims, Houston operations site director for the Dow Chemical Company and chair of the East Harris County Manufacturers Association Houston (ECHMA) shared with delegates that ECHMA’s 130 member companies transform resources into the materials needed to make many essential consumer products. Each year, ECHMA member companies contribute approximately $12 billion to the local economy through taxes, payrolls, purchases and capital expenditures. Further, Heims said, abundant shale gas and expansive supply infrastructure has resulted in an economic impact that has recently brought $40 billion in capital investment, over 1,000 permanent jobs and more than 30,000 construction jobs to the Gulf Coast region.
Heims assured U.S. delegates and European guests to the seminar that ECHMA members are committed to domestic and international business cooperation and will continue to focus on operational excellence to drive innovation, reliability, safety, environmental and security improvements.
Essenscia managing director Yves Verschuereh expressed that Belgium is attractive for the chemical and petrochemical industry because the country’s high level of integration and diversity across the value chain is unique to the world, with synergies in energy, process integration and logistics offering world-class cost effectiveness. Operational excellence also leads to high safety at work, delivering world-class energy efficiency, Verschuereh said.
Belgium is the number one chemical country in the world, in terms of chemicals and plastics production per capita, with 12 of the world’s top 15 chemical companies’ production sites located in Belgium.
Belgium is building a future of sustainable chemistry, where megatrends are building a future of sustainable chemistry. These megatrends, Verschuereh explained, are reflected in solutions springing from chemistry and life sciences that produce energy-saving innovations like building insulation and installing lighter plastics in cars for less fuel consumption. Diversifying raw materials result in materials for renewable energy and bioplastics, Verschuereh continued. Additionally, sustainable chemistry results in more food being produced by fertilizers that yield higher crops, GMO’s, and plastic packaging for better preservation. Furthermore, innovations in chemistry provide plastic piping that promotes zero water loss and makes water treatment possible. Finally, vaccines, medicines, personal care products improve overall health, thanks to advances in sustainable chemistry.
“Chemistry is the mother of all industries,” Verschuereh said.
According to Verschuereh, the use of products from the chemical industry as intermediate goods for customer industries is expected to increase by 27 percent by 2030, with substantial gains made in the automotive, electronics, food, construction, and machinery sectors.
In terms of capacity, Belgium’s Port of Antwerp offers the largest integrated European cluster for production, storage, and distribution of chemical and petrochemical products, according to Wimm Dillen, head of the port’s business development. As many as 67 million tons of liquid bulk travels through the port each year, with 1000 kilometers of pipelines and 57 product pipelines in the port creating 12,000 direct jobs and ‘a multitude of indirect jobs” encompassing sub-suppliers, contractors, and related services.
Another of Belgium’s main hubs for the industry is Port of Ghent, which occupies 11,600 acres, accounting for one-third the area of that city. The port’s 17.5 miles of earth-retaining quay walls dock barges, container vessels, ships and boats that transfer goods that are further transported via the port’s 86 miles of roads and 132 miles of railroad track. The port supports 62,000 jobs in 300 companies and sees $380 million in investments each year.
His Excellency Mr. Pieter De Crem, Belgium’s Federal Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, noted at the seminar that the United States is a leading energy hub in the world in the traditional energy sector, thanks to a large extent to Houston and Texas.
“Belgium, in turn, is a world leader in sustainable chemistry, energy sufficiency, and clean tech,” he said. “These roles are complementary and reinforcing. They open up a great many opportunities for cooperation and mutual investment. And today’s seminar goes to show that these are not just idol words.”
Secretary De Crem concluded that there is no doubt that both Texas and Belgium are world-class, innovative hubs.
“And we have many strengths that we share,” he said. “The opportunities to take our partnership further are almost limitless. Both Texas and Belgium are global leaders in the chemical and petrochemical sector, and we will strive to open up new opportunities for mutual cooperation, partnership, and investments. Please allow me to urge you to create and seize these opportunities.”