Belgium Timeline

Building a Better World for More Than a Century

Fluor has been active in Belgium for more than half a century. In 2008, Fluor deepened its commitment to Belgium by acquiring Unec Engineering N.V. The company became Fluor Engineering N.V., a multidisciplinary engineering and construction company focusing on small capital projects and plant engineering projects in Europe.

With strong client relationships, a strategic office location, and experienced and knowledgeable staff, Fluor Belgium serves clients in multiple industries including energy, chemicals, petrochemicals, refineries, and oil and gas production.

Main Fluor Timeline

Videos: Our Story

1910s

Fluor quickly builds a reputation for innovation and precise engineering and construction work.

1912

Fluor Construction Co. founded

1912: Fluor Construction Co. founded

In 1888, John Simon "Si" Fluor emigrated from Switzerland to America in search of challenges and opportunity. He previously trained as a journeyman carpenter in the Swiss guild and brought with him the ethos that system embodied — a reverence for craftsmanship and the ambition to build structures that would outlast the builder.

In 1912, Mr. Fluor founded Fluor Construction Company in Santa Ana, California, leading the company until his death in 1944. Fluor Construction Company performed general contracting at the start and quickly gained a reputation for quality and innovation.

1950s

Fluor grows and opens offices in Europe.

1952

The Fluor Foundation is established

1952: The Fluor Foundation is established

The Fluor Foundation, a program for corporate contributions to fund community initiatives, nonprofit organizations and education, was established in 1952.

To date, Fluor and the Fluor Foundation have contributed more than $231 million in financial support to community programs, including $4.5 million in 2024.

1957

First Fluor office in UK

1957: First Fluor office in UK

To meet the demand of expansions in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, Fluor opens a subsidiary in London.

1959

First Fluor office in Haarlem, the Netherlands

1959: First Fluor office in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Fluor opens first Haarlem office at the Fonteinlaan, an old hotel.

The Haarlem site would become the seat of European and African operations. By the mid-1970's, Fluor was the largest engineering and construction company in Western Europe.

1960s

Fluor enters the EPC industry in Belgium.

1969

Fluor designs and builds semiconductor octopole reaction system

1969: Fluor designs and builds semiconductor octopole reaction system

RCA contracted Fluor to design and build the semiconductor octopole reaction system in Liège, Belgium. The project began in January 1969, and was completed in September 1970.

1970s

Fluor completes major Energy & Chemicals and Manufacturing jobs across Belgium.

1971

Esso chooses Fluor as EPC contractor for refinery expansion and modernization

1971: Esso chooses Fluor as EPC contractor for refinery expansion and modernization

Fluor provided design, engineering, procurement, and construction services to expand Esso’s Antwerp refinery to 250,000 BPD capacity. The Esso refinery expansion was the largest of its kind in Europe, yet the site was only 20 acres, which yielded severely limited workspace and significant complexity.

1971

Fluor designs Esso Motor Hotel

1971: Fluor designs Esso Motor Hotel

Fluor designed and constructed the Esso Motor Hotel in Casteau, Belgium.

1971

Fluor commences work for Gleason Works

1971: Fluor commences work for Gleason Works

Fluor provided heavy machinery for the Gleason Works metal products facility in Ghlin Baudour, Belgium.

1972

Fluor constructs a heavy equipment manufacturing plant

1972: Fluor constructs a heavy equipment manufacturing plant

Fluor constructed Caterpillar Belgium SA's heavy equipment manufacturing plant in Gosselies, Belgium. The construction project was completed in August 1973.

1973

Fluor begins construction on grassroots plant in Liers, Belgium

1973: Fluor begins construction on grassroots plant in Liers, Belgium

Fluor provided complete architectural design and engineering development for the grassroots child care products facility. The finished product was diapers, and the work included the installation of process plant and machinery.

1974

Computer components manufacturing plant design and construction

1974: Computer components manufacturing plant design and construction

Fluor designed and constructed Burroughs Machines Belgian computer components manufacturing plant in Herstal, Belgium. Design for the plant began in 1969 and the project was completed in 1974.

1974

Fluor's chemical group designs plastics plant for Dow Corning

1974: Fluor's chemical group designs plastics plant for Dow Corning

Fluor's Chemicals group designed and constructed a plastics facility for Dow Corning in Seneffe, Belgium.

1975

Stauffer Chemical uses Fluor as a contractor in Belgium

1975: Stauffer Chemical uses Fluor as a contractor in Belgium

Fluor began the design and construction scope for Stauffer Chemical's $50 million herbicide plant in Seneffe, Belgium. The project was completed in 15 months.

1975

LDPE Plant with Ethylene Recovery constructed in Antwerp

1975: LDPE Plant with Ethylene Recovery constructed in Antwerp

Fluor performed engineering, procurement and construction management to successfully erect USI's LDPE Plant with ethylene recovery in Antwerp, Belgium.

1976

Esso Chemie N.V.'s 768 tpd LDPE plant begins production

1976: Esso Chemie N.V.'s 768 tpd LDPE plant begins production

Fluor served as the engineering, procurement and construction management contractor on Esso's 768 tpd low density polyethylene plant construction in Meerhout, Belgium.

1976

Significant refinery upgrade project delivered to client

1976: Significant refinery upgrade project delivered to client

Fluor performed engineering, design, procurement and construction for the modernization and expansion of Esso Belgium’s refinery at Antwerp. The project, one of the largest refinery contracts ever awarded in Europe, increased total refinery capacity to 250,000 B/D, and included atmospheric and vacuum pipestills, hydrofiner facilities, a hydrogen plant and a powerformer. Extensive environmental improvements included a sulphur recovery unit and waste water treatment plant, while wharf and utility facilities were also provided.

1977

Fluor finishes Hercules' chemical plant

1977: Fluor finishes Hercules' chemical plant

Fluor successfully constructed the Hercules' chemicals manufacturing facility and office building in Paal, Belgium.

1980s

Fluor continues to expand its international presence.

1982

Fluor designs world's largest FLEXICOKER™

1982: Fluor designs world's largest FLEXICOKER™

Fluor designs and constructions the world's largest FLEXICOKER™ for Lagoven in Amuay, Venezuela.

1983

Fluor builds first commercial photovoltaic power plant

1983: Fluor builds first commercial photovoltaic power plant

Fluor built the world's first ever large-scale photovoltaic power plant for ARCO Solar.

1985

Modules successfully installed at SADAF's 500‑acre, major downstream petrochemical complex

1985: Modules successfully installed at SADAF's 500‑acre, major downstream petrochemical complex

Fluor served as the managing contractor on a grassroots ethylene-based petrochemical complex for Saudi Arabia Petrochemical Company (SADAF) in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The complex produced ethylene, ethyl-benzene, styrene, ethylene dichloride, chlorine, caustic soda and crude industrial ethanol. It depended in large part on feed streams from the gas-gathering project done by Fluor for the Aramco gas program. The complex, in turn, would provide some of the output to feed Al Jubail Petrochemical Company’s nearly linear low density polyethylene plant, also a Fluor project. Approximately 40% of the complex was completed using modular construction, the largest modular project at the time.

1986

Minera Escondida Copper Mine project begins

1986: Minera Escondida Copper Mine project begins

Fluor designs and constructs the Minera Escondida project – one of the world’s largest copper mines – located in the Atacama Desert of Chile, which is the driest place on earth.

1989

Fluor awarded Bisphenol A plant

1989: Fluor awarded Bisphenol A plant

Fluor was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction management of Bayer AG's Bisphenol A Plant in Antwerp, Belgium. The project was awarded in 1989 and completed less than 14 months later in 1991.

1990s

Fluor executes multiple projects for energy & chemicals clients in Belgium.

1991

Fina Raffinaderij Antwerpen N.V. upgrade project commences

1991: Fina Raffinaderij Antwerpen N.V. upgrade project commences

Fina Raffinaderij Antwerpen N.V. hired Fluor as the managing contractor for the upgrades at their Antwerp refinery. The modernization project enabled the refinery to process a wide range of crude oil and to produce light and high-quality products, such as unleaded and low-sulfur gasoline to meet the 1995 European regulatory environmental standards.

1994

Fluor signs off on major refinery's mechanical completion

1994: Fluor signs off on major refinery's mechanical completion

Fluor was the overall managing contractor for Fina Raffinaderij Antwerpen N.V.'s $800 million fuel oil upgrading program at their Belgian refinery. The six ARDS reactors that, manufactured in Japan and Italy, were the heart of the project. The reactors were transported to the site and erected using a hydraulic lifting frame instead of cranes.

1996

Fluor engineers Monsanto facility

1996: Fluor engineers Monsanto facility

Fluor provided engineering support for Monsanto's Antwerp agricultural chemicals expansion project. Fluor's engineering scope was completed in 7 months.

1997

Antwerp Aromatics project produces chemical grade benzene and mixed xylenes from reformate

1997: Antwerp Aromatics project produces chemical grade benzene and mixed xylenes from reformate

The Fina Raffinaderij Antwerp Aromatics project included the processing facilities required for producing chemical grade benzene and mixed xylenes from reformate. The main on-site facilities included a new 240 tonne/hr reformate fractionation section (RFS), the revamping of an existing unit for the benzene hydrotreater (C6HT), and a new 60 tonne/hr extractive distillation unit (EDU). Fluor provided detailed engineering and design, procurement, construction management and precommissioning assistance.

2000s

Fluor establishes a permanent office in Antwerp.

2006

Fluor completes high speed rail stretching from Amsterdam to the Belgium border

2006: Fluor completes high speed rail stretching from Amsterdam to the Belgium border

Fluor served as the managing partner for Infraspeed, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) selected by the Dutch Government to deliver the first high-speed rail line (HSL) in the Netherlands. The project spanned from Amsterdam to the Belgium border.

2008

Fluor acquires Belgian engineering firm

2008: Fluor acquires Belgian engineering firm

Fluor acquired Unec Engineering N.V., a privately owned Antwerp-based engineering firm. The company became Fluor Engineering N.V. and reports to Fluor Europe B.V. in Amsterdam. Fluor Belgium provides EPC services and maintenance to the Energy & Chemicals, Power, and Industrial industries.

2010s

Fluor's office in Belgium focuses on energy & chemicals, power, and industrial projects for Belgian clients.

2010

Fluor begins EPCM scope for Butadiene Cooling System in Vlissingen

2010: Fluor begins EPCM scope for Butadiene Cooling System in Vlissingen

Fluor executed engineering, procurement and construction management services for a fast track project for Vopak Terminal Vlissingen to install a cooling system and cold insulation on two of the existing pressurised gas storage spheres.

2012

Dow and Fluor sign Strategic Global EPC Agreement

2012: Dow and Fluor sign Strategic Global EPC Agreement

The Dow Chemical Company and Fluor sign a Strategic Global Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) and Construction Management Agreement in support of Dow’s global capital projects program ranging across all Dow products.

2014

Fluor starts construction on a new delayed coker unit in Antwerp

2014: Fluor starts construction on a new delayed coker unit in Antwerp

Fluor is responsible for ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA's new delayed coker unit in Antwerp, Belgium. The new unit will convert heavy, higher sulfur residual oils into transportation fuel products such as marine gasoil and diesel fuel.

2015

Fluxys expands LNG Terminal at Zeebrugge

2015: Fluxys expands LNG Terminal at Zeebrugge

Fluxys awarded Fluor basic design and front-end-engineering and design, and project management consulting services for a second jetty and fuel oil expansion of the LNG Terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium. The LNG terminal project was completed in 2015.

2017

Fluor special purpose company reconstructs A27 and A1 motorways

2017: Fluor special purpose company reconstructs A27 and A1 motorways

The 3Angle B.V. special purpose company, comprised of Fluor, 3i Infrastructure and Heijmans Capital, is responsible for the financing, design, construction, management and maintenance of the reconstruction of the A27 motorway between Utrecht North and Eemnes Junction, as well as the A1 motorway between the Eemnes Junction and the Bunschoten-Spakenburg interchange. Construction is due to be completed by the end of 2018, followed by the commencement of a 25-year maintenance period.