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Following on from Monday's news that Ecoslops has agreed to develop an oil residue processing plant in the south of France, the company announced on Tuesday that it is one step closer to establishing a micro-refinery unit in Antwerp after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Antwerp Terminal and Processing Company (ATPC), a subsidiary of VTTI group.

Ecoslops has agreed to collaborate with ATPC - which has an industrial unit dedicated to fuel storage and refining in Antwerp - with the common objective to facilitate detailed technical, economic, regulatory studies, and to file building and operation permits. This phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Ecoslops says the new unit in Antwerp has a minimum capacity to treat 60,000 tonnes per year and should enable the regeneration of collected residues in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region by local slops collectors.

It will also provide ship owners with a full traceability of their slops disposal, as well as sustaining the slops collection industry in the long term, Ecoslops says.

Commenting on the news, Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Antwerp Port Authority, said: "Ecoslops enrolls itself in the commitment we have towards the values of the circular economy. The new micro-refinery unit is a next stepping stone for the sustainable vision we have for the port, and is thus a win for several parties."

Ecoslops already has a fully operational micro-refinery in the Port of Sines (Portugal) and another soon to be built in Marseilles La Mede with Total.

Vincent Favier, chairman and CEO of Ecoslops, remarked: "The success of our first industrial unit in Portugal has turned Ecoslops into the genuine leader in its market. Following our partnership with Total group in Marseilles, Ecoslops is delighted to announce an agreement with the Port of Antwerp, a leading port in the world, and ATPC, refiner and storage provider of VTTI group.

"The implantation of a new unit in the ARA zone will allow ship owners to benefit from a full traceability in compliance, with the best economic and environmental standards. It is a key milestone for our company in the development of a worldwide network targeting the major routes and international shipping infrastructure."

Image: Vincent Favier - chairman and CEO of Ecoslops.