Chertal also under consideration as a logistics hub for the Einstein Telescope

One of the sites being considered for the construction phase of the Einstein Telescope EMR is Chertal, the vast former industrial brownfield located north of the Liège metropolitan area.

A matter of transport

Chertal is one of the locations examined as a potential option in the exploratory study carried out by the Einstein Telescope EMR Project Office. It had previously been announced that the railway yard at Montzen could also serve as a major logistics hub for the temporary storage and handling of materials, as well as for rail transport. This approach makes transport more sustainable than relying solely on trucks. It also benefits local residents by reducing the number of heavy goods vehicles using local roads.

Thanks to the extensive land available, a site such as Chertal could accommodate a range of supporting functions during the construction phase, including storage facilities, pre-assembly activities and temporary installations required for a project of this scale.

A strategic hub

Once a key centre of Liège’s steel industry, Chertal is a large industrial site located between Herstal and Oupeye, bordered by the river Meuse and in close proximity to the Albert Canal, major European transport corridors, railway lines, inland waterways and motorways.

Johan Rutten, Environment, Sustainability and Stakeholder Manager at the project office, welcomes the inclusion of Chertal: “Like Montzen, Chertal could play a role in the sustainable logistics concept we are developing. Its location alongside railways, motorways and waterways also makes it particularly attractive from a multimodal transport perspective. We want to explore every opportunity to reuse and add value to the materials extracted from underground as close as possible to the project site. This also applies to the manufacturing of components required for the underground infrastructure itself and to the later delivery of detector components for the Einstein Telescope. Wherever possible, we will ensure that these activities create as many opportunities as possible for the local economy.”

Liège Trilogiport

The Chertal option is closely linked to the development of the Trilogiport logistics platform in Visé, located nearby. Over the years, the aotonomous port has established itself as one of Wallonia‘s leading multimodal logistics hubs, combining inland waterway, rail and road transport. Walloon stakeholders have also expressed their support for the Einstein Telescope EMR bid, highlighting the economic, industrial and technological development opportunities that such a project would bring to the region.

As previously announced, the railway yard at Montzen could also play an important role in the sustainable logistics concept for the Einstein Telescope’s construction phase. On 8 June, the Einstein Telescope Project Office received a letter of support from SNCB/NMBS and Infrabel, both of which support the use of the Montzen rail site for the underground telescope. This marks the next stage in the exploratory discussions between the parties.

Not a choice between the two

According to Johan Rutten, the issue is not whether to choose Montzen or Chertal, but rather how to create a sustainable network of logistics locations: “There are certainly other options that could also play a role. Which ones will ultimately be used depends on the final location selected for the underground telescope. That decision has not yet been made.”