The regional government of Flanders has announced a €2 billion investment package over the next decade to cut industrial carbon emissions, with €1.2 billion earmarked for carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure. The largest portion of that, €1 billion, will go to a competitive funding round in 2028 targeting hard-to-abate sectors like steel and chemicals. Another €200 million has already been allocated to the Kairos@C project at the Port of Antwerp, led by BASF and Air Liquide, to capture and store CO2 under the seabed. The remaining €800 million will subsidize industrial heat pumps, electric boilers, and manufacturing upgrades. Funding is merit-based, rewarding projects that deliver the most CO2 reduction per euro. The package is financed largely through EU ETS revenues, recycling carbon penalties into industrial resilience. The goal is to keep Flanders competitive while preserving manufacturing jobs and fostering cleantech innovation.
