On the Scheldelaan in Antwerp, Bayer and TotalEnergies help keep the economic heart of our country beating. Along with other strategic companies, they show that the Antwerp chemical cluster, the second largest in the world after Houston, remains essential to Belgian prosperity. Georges-Louis Bouchez went to meet them, to hear about their reality on the ground.
The MR President knows better than anyone: industry, investment and innovation are essential to economic growth, exports and the prosperity of both Belgium and Europe. It is therefore no coincidence that he visited Bayer and TotalEnergies today. “These are not ordinary companies: they are pillars of European strategic autonomy. TotalEnergies' refining and petrochemical capabilities guarantee our energy security and access to essential raw materials. Bayer, for its part, through production firmly rooted in Europe of crop protection products, reduces our dependence on imports from non-European countries. Electrification, battery storage and the production of sustainable aviation fuel at TotalEnergies also contribute directly to the energy transition. But high energy costs and international competition are putting the sector under pressure, with a real risk of job losses and loss of industrial sovereignty if we do not act quickly to correct course.”
For Georges-Louis Bouchez, Belgium urgently needs an economic growth plan. “Our prosperity doesn't fall from the sky. We owe it largely to our industry. Yet for fifteen years we have seen no growth, while today we face inflation of 4%. Our accumulated wealth is eroding.”
The solution, according to the MR President? “Fewer unnecessary rules and administrative burdens. Lower taxes and lower labour costs. Faster permit procedures and legal certainty for investors. We must free our businesses. Economic growth is a necessity, including to keep funding our social model.”
TotalEnergies: refining and petrochemicals combined
TotalEnergies Refinery Antwerp is the largest refinery in Belgium, the third largest in Europe and one of the most diversified on the continent. Its annual processing capacity reaches around 16 million tonnes of crude oil.
In total, the company employs 4,000 people in our country. Over the past ten years, TotalEnergies has invested three billion euros in modernising the site. An additional 300 million euros is spent there every year.
In Antwerp, TotalEnergies has also built its largest battery park in Europe, with a storage capacity of 75 MWh. Since 2025, the refinery has also produced sustainable aviation fuel, a key technology for decarbonising air transport.
Bayer: medicines and crop protection
Bayer has 1,000 employees in Belgium. The company supplies medicines for healthcare as well as crop protection products for European and international agricultural markets.
As a world leader in seeds and crop protection, Bayer combines biology, chemistry and digital technologies. In 2015, its plastics division was spun off to become Covestro, while Bayer continued to specialise in medicines and agricultural chemistry.
In 2023, the chemicals, plastics and life sciences sectors generated 25.4 billion euros in added value in Belgium. This represents 38% of the added value of the entire manufacturing industry.
The sector accounts for nearly 100,000 direct jobs in our country, plus 250,000 indirect jobs among suppliers and service providers. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals also represent a third of Belgian exports.