Belgium opens consultation on missing link in CO₂ pipeline
The public consultation concerns a possible pipeline between Opwijk and Lievegem, as part of a future network between Germany and Zeebrugge.
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A public consultation began in Flanders on Tuesday over reserving space for a possible CO₂ pipeline between Opwijk and Lievegem. The connection is seen as a missing link in a larger plan to transport captured carbon from Belgium and Germany towards Zeebrugge and storage sites in the North Sea.
The consultation is not about a final construction decision, but about a spatial plan. The Flemish government is examining where a pipeline corridor could be located and what conditions would apply. Residents, municipalities and other stakeholders can respond to the initial memorandum and accompanying process documents until 11 December.
The proposed corridor runs through several Flemish municipalities, including Opwijk, Aalst, Dendermonde, Ghent and Lievegem. According to the Flemish government, the corridor must reserve space for future underground infrastructure. The precise route of any eventual pipeline has therefore not yet been determined.
The route between Opwijk and Lievegem forms part of a longer connection between Eynatten, near the German border, and Zeebrugge. Fluxys describes the corridor as part of a possible European network for CO₂ transport. Captured CO₂ could be brought from industrial regions to the coast and then transported to permanent storage beneath the North Sea.
The Flemish government approved the initial memorandum for the spatial implementation plan on 18 September. The current consultation is the next step in the planning procedure. Decisions must still be taken on the spatial plan, permits, financing, construction and technical implementation.
Supporters see CO₂ infrastructure as a way to capture industrial emissions that are difficult to eliminate completely in the short term. On that reasoning, a network could connect companies in Belgium and Germany with storage sites and support investment in capture technology. That effect depends on the infrastructure actually being built and used.
Against that potential climate benefit are questions about safety, land use and the long-term role of fossil-fuel or industrial facilities. Critics may also fear that transporting and storing CO₂ could become an alternative to direct emissions reductions. The consultation provides an opportunity to examine those objections; the Flemish government has not yet decided to build the full connection.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Flemish government is holding a public consultation on a spatial corridor for a possible CO₂ pipeline between Opwijk and Lievegem.
- The corridor forms part of a larger future network between the German border and Zeebrugge.
- There is not yet a final decision on the construction, permits, financing or operation of the full connection.
- According to the project plans, captured CO₂ could be transported towards storage sites in the North Sea.
Left
Arguments CO₂ storage may be necessary for industrial emissions that cannot disappear completely quickly, but public support should not create a new dependence on fossil-fuel production. From this perspective, firm emissions caps, transparent safety rules and priority for direct energy savings are important.
Values Climate justice, protection of the living environment and preventing delays to emissions reductions.
Consequences A well-regulated network could support industrial jobs and climate goals. Without strong conditions, there is a risk that companies will promise capture while failing to reduce their production and total emissions sufficiently.
Centre
Arguments A spatial reservation is a preparatory step and may be sensible as long as the government makes a decision only later, based on feasibility, safety, cost and demonstrable climate benefits. The consultation procedure should bring together local concerns and technical information.
Values Institutional care, feasibility and a balance between climate policy, industry and local residents.
Consequences The corridor keeps options open without committing to a full investment now. That could improve decision-making, but it could also prolong uncertainty for municipalities and companies.
Right
Arguments Industry and energy supply need predictable infrastructure and permits. CO₂ transport could help companies compete and prevent production from moving to countries with lower environmental standards. From this perspective, decisions should above all be practical, affordable and legally certain.
Values Economic continuity, affordability, national and European competitiveness and protection of property rights.
Consequences Rapid construction could support investment and employment. An overly expensive or heavily regulated network could pass costs on to companies and households, while a failed infrastructure investment would cost public money.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The procedure, the dates of the initial memorandum and consultation, and the geographical corridor have been confirmed by Flemish government and company sources. The potential climate benefits and objections are presented as policy arguments, not established effects.
- confirmed The public consultation on the Opwijk–Lievegem pipeline corridor began on 13 October and runs until 11 December 2026. — Mentioned on the current Fluxys page and in regional reporting. source
- confirmed The Flemish government approved the initial memorandum on 18 September 2026. — Mentioned on the official Vlaanderen.be page. source
- confirmed The corridor forms part of a longer connection between Eynatten and Zeebrugge. — Description of the project by Vlaanderen.be and Fluxys. source
- confirmed The project is not yet a final decision to build the full pipeline. — The official information describes a spatial planning procedure and possible future infrastructure, not a granted construction permit. source
- confirmed A European CO₂ network could connect Belgium and Germany with storage sites in the North Sea. — The European Commission describes the cross-border project concept; the wording in the article remains future-oriented. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Flanders has begun a spatial planning procedure and public consultation. It is uncertain whether the pipeline will be built, where exactly it will run and how much CO₂ will ultimately be transported; that depends on later planning, permitting and investment decisions.Sources
- GRUP Leidingstrook Opwijk-Lievegem — Vlaanderen.be
- CO₂-corridor Opwijk-Lievegem — Fluxys
- Publieke consultatie GRUP CO2-leiding Opwijk-Lievegem — Vlaanderen Vandaag
- Technical document: Projects of common interest in carbon dioxide networks — Europese Commissie