Belgium asks residents for views on CO₂ corridor
The consultation concerns a spatial reservation for the missing link between Opwijk and Lievegem.
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Flanders opened a public consultation on Tuesday on a possible CO₂ pipeline between Opwijk and Lievegem. The project is relevant to the Netherlands because it forms part of a cross-border network between Germany, Belgium and storage sites in the North Sea.
The consultation concerns the initial memorandum for a regional spatial implementation plan. The Flemish government intends to reserve space for future underground infrastructure. It is not yet a final decision to construct the pipeline.
The proposed corridor runs through several Flemish municipalities. Residents, local authorities and other organisations can respond to the plans until 11 December. The Flemish government must then process the responses and technical information before the next procedural steps can be taken.
According to Flanders and network operator Fluxys, Opwijk-Lievegem is a missing link in a longer corridor between Eynatten on the German border and Zeebrugge. From Zeebrugge, captured CO₂ could be transported onwards to storage sites in the North Sea.
For Belgium, the project fits into plans to capture and transport industrial CO₂. For Dutch companies and public authorities, the European scale is particularly important: infrastructure in Belgium and Germany could become part of a future north-west European network for carbon transport.
The possible advantages and disadvantages cannot yet be established definitively. CO₂ storage could reduce industrial emissions, but construction requires space, oversight and investment. It is also not yet clear how many companies would use the pipeline or when it could become operational.
The initial memorandum was approved by the Flemish government on 18 September. The current consultation round is therefore a step in spatial planning, not a construction decision. The final route, permits, financing and construction must be assessed separately at a later stage.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The public consultation concerns a spatial corridor for a possible CO₂ pipeline.
- According to the initiators, the project forms a link between the German border and Zeebrugge.
- The eventual construction and operation have not yet been decided.
Left
Arguments The corridor can only be justified if it demonstrably leads to additional emissions reductions and is not used to prolong fossil-fuel activities.
Values Climate justice, public oversight and protection of local residents.
Consequences Strict conditions could increase the climate benefits, but could also make the project more expensive and slower.
Centre
Arguments The consultation is a normal way to plan infrastructure carefully. The route, safety, costs and climate impact must be investigated first.
Values Careful decision-making, feasibility and balancing interests.
Consequences The government keeps its options open without yet taking a construction decision, but gives companies no certainty about the timetable.
Right
Arguments European industry needs reliable infrastructure to become more sustainable and remain competitive. The government should therefore arrange space and permits in good time.
Values Economic growth, affordability and legal certainty.
Consequences Faster decision-making could attract investment, while high costs or lengthy procedures could deter companies.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The substance of the country news is based on official information from Flanders and Fluxys. The article clearly distinguishes between the current consultation and later decisions on construction and operation.
- confirmed Flanders opened a public consultation on 13 October about the Opwijk-Lievegem corridor. — Mentioned by Fluxys and in regional reporting. source
- confirmed The Flemish government approved the initial memorandum on 18 September. — Mentioned on Vlaanderen.be. source
- confirmed The corridor forms part of a connection between the German border and Zeebrugge. — Description of the project corridor by Vlaanderen.be and Fluxys. source
- confirmed Construction and financing have not yet been definitively decided. — The sources describe a spatial plan and possible future infrastructure. source
Editor's note
The event and procedure have been confirmed as current and official. The eventual construction, route, costs and climate benefits remain uncertain.Sources
- GRUP Leidingstrook Opwijk-Lievegem — Vlaanderen.be
- CO₂-corridor Opwijk-Lievegem — Fluxys
- Technical document: Projects of common interest in carbon dioxide networks — Europese Commissie
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „belgië co2”
- Trouw — „belgië co2”
- RTL Nieuws — „belgië co2”