A ship unloading at North Sea Port in Ghent
Engie and Equinor partner for Belgian blue hydrogen project
H2BE project in Ghent region will use autothermal reforming technology and ship liquid CO₂ to Norwegian North Sea storage site
French utility Engie and Norwegian state-owned energy firm Equinor are studying the feasibility of a blue hydrogen project in the Ghent area of Belgium. The H2BE project would be based on autothermal reforming (ATR) of natural gas combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Captured CO₂ will be shipped in liquid form for permanent storage under the Norwegian North Sea. ATR technology allows for decarbonisation rates above 95pc and can deliver hydrogen at large scale and competitive costs, according to Equinor. The project could start up “well before 2030” and commercial talks are underway with potential offtakers, predominantly from large, hard-to-abate industries, Equinor says. Engie an
Also in this section
25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
18 February 2026
Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
