Tuesday, October 26, 2021 – Luminus will build a wind turbine on Gadot Belgium’s premises at the Mercatordok in Ghent port in 2022. Through the municipal holding Zefier, the city of Ghent is also investing in the wind energy project. The city’s proceeds flow into a rolling climate fund. This provides cheap and long-term energy loans to all Ghent citizens who want to renovate their homes in a climate-friendly way.
Mercatordok wind turbine project
In 2022 a wind turbine will be erected at the Mercatordok in the port of Ghent on the land of Gadot Belgium. The site in question has a very large wind potential and is located in the heart of the port of Ghent, far from the surrounding residential areas.
It will be a wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 138 m and a mast height of 111 m. The wind turbine will produce more than 10 GWh per year, accounting for the annual energy consumption of 2,900 Ghent households. This will save 5,300 tons of CO2 (eq.) compared to the average Belgian electricity mix. This saving is comparable to the emissions of about 500 diesel cars (1). Gadot Belgium will use about half of the produced green electricity locally on its site and will thus make its activities significantly more sustainable.
The project will pay extra attention to birds. A bird radar will be installed nearby to monitor the flight movements. At the most sensitive moments, the turbine will be shut down to ensure the safety of the birds.
The City of Ghent has a 49% share in the wind turbine through a guarantee. Luminus is participating for 51%. The city’s proceeds will go to a rolling climate fund. This provides energy loans to help Gentenaars reduce their energy consumption more quickly and to allow them to invest in renewable energy. Moreover, people with lower incomes can now get a cheap loan to tackle the basic quality of their homes. The wind turbine therefore benefits all inhabitants of Ghent.
Wim De Windt, CEO Gadot Europe and Managing Director Gadot Belgium:
“Gadot Belgium is extremely proud to be able to welcome the first wind turbine with participation via Zo-Fier to its terminal at North Sea Port by the city of Ghent and for the people of Ghent. With environmentally friendly energy for all its processes, Gadot, which specializes in chemical production, storage and filling activities, is taking an important step in its growth ambitions to build up a sustainable chemical cluster at a superb location in port of Ghent. Gadot is happy to join forces with Luminus as a strategic partner.”
Municipal participation in wind projects
The wind turbine will be owned by Zo-Fier nv, a joint subsidiary of Luminus and Zefier that focuses on the development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects.
Luminus and Zefier want to involve local residents as much as possible in these renewable energy projects. Zefier is already active in 168 municipalities, representing 4.2 million inhabitants or 65% of the Flemish population. Through Zefier’s participation in Zo-Fier, Zefier’s municipal shareholders will now be able to participate in Luminus’ wind projects in their municipality.
Grégoire Dallemagne, CEO of Luminus:
“As the number one in wind energy in Belgium, we want to build a CO2-neutral energy future where protection of the planet, well-being and economic growth are reconciled thanks to electricity and innovative services. For this we need both citizens and governments. Thanks to Zo-Fier, we can involve them even more in our renewable energy projects. Only together do we make a difference.” The fight against climate change
For Luminus, the fight against climate change is a work in progress every day. The company has been investing in the production of renewable energy for more than 60 years. More than 26% of its energy production comes from renewable energy sources of Belgian origin. Luminus has been betting on wind energy since 2001 and its wind farm is experiencing constant growth. With its 249 wind turbines, the company has an installed capacity of 630 MW, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 344,000 families.
