Ineos, headquartered in London, has received the first of the final two process modules for its Project One ethane cracker in Antwerp, Belgium, after the shipment was delayed for months by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the company, the modules were fabricated in Abu Dhabi but were unable to transit the strait because of the conflict involving Iran. The vessels carrying the modules cleared the waterway during the mid-June ceasefire and reached Antwerp approximately six weeks later via the Suez Canal.

The first module weighs approximately 6,920 metric tons and stands 55 meters tall. A second module, weighing about 7,200 metric tons, is expected to arrive in the coming days. According to Ineos, the two modules complete the major process equipment required for the €5 billion Project One ethane cracker.

The company said the modules will be installed after temporary transport structures are removed, allowing final integration of the plant's process systems.

Construction has now shifted from civil works to mechanical, electrical and instrumentation activities. According to Ineos, approximately 2,500 workers representing about 80 contractors are currently on site, with more than 14 million work hours completed. Current work includes installing approximately 1,250 kilometers of electrical and instrumentation cable, conducting leak testing and completing the control room, administration building and warehouse facilities.

Ineos said commissioning activities are underway in mechanically completed areas following the energization of the site's 380-kilovolt main substation earlier this year. Mechanical completion of the entire facility remains scheduled for summer 2027, with startup of the ethane cracker planned for the second half of 2027.

Project One is one of the largest chemical manufacturing investments currently under construction in Europe. The modular construction approach allowed foundation work in Antwerp to proceed while process modules were fabricated overseas, reducing the overall project schedule, according to the company.