The future power plant owned by BEE will have the tremendous potential to produce 215 MW of electricity from wood chip. Compared with a coal – fired power plant, this 100% biomass project will avoid CO 2 emissions equivalent to heating the homes of Ghent’s 240,000 residents. Veolia has been contracted for its operation with revenues of around 150 million euros.
"With Veolia, we are confident of having a world – renowned partner able to commit to a results guarantee because of the experience they have acquired with similar projects," says Michael Corten, CEO of BEE.
Construction of the plant, scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2016, will take three years and create more than 1,000 jobs in the region. The electricity generated will be sold to industrial concerns and fed into the grid.
Veolia will work with BEE right from the beginning of this construction phase in order to ensure the best operability of the facility and then take charge, under the best possible conditions, of the power plant it will operate for the first 15 years after it is commissioned.
The future biomass power plant at the international Port of Ghent will help Belgium contribute to achieving the European Union’s 2020 targets, in particular greenhouse gas emission reductions, as this plant will avoid the emission of 450,000 metric tons of CO2 each year compared with an equivalent natural gas – fired plant.
By providing 2% of Belgium’s total electricity production, the plant will also contribute to increasing the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix together with improving its energy efficiency by introducing the most efficient technology.
