Engie, working with Wind4Flanders, is developing a 26MW wind farm that will power ExxonMobil’s chemical plant in Meerhout, in Belgium, and supply power for the region’s electricity grid.
Engie and the public-private partnership Wind4Flanders will build three wind turbines at ExxonMobil’s chemical site and a fourth turbine in the immediate vicinity.
The wind park will provide an estimated 44 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity annually.
The final design of the wind project depends on the permit application process, which will be submitted at the end of November.
The turbines are expected to be commissioned in 2025.
“ExxonMobil is aiming for net-zero scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 2050 and is looking at low-carbon energy sources for its plants, among other things,” said Inge Van der Meeren, director of ExxonMobil’s Meerhout Polymers Plant.
“When the project starts commercially, the wind-generated electricity will be used to partially power our plant and help reduce emissions in the region.”
Engie will be the owner of the wind turbines and will operate them.
The project complements the growing onshore wind energy capacity of Engie in Belgium, which amounts to 511MW generated by more than 70 wind farms.
“The current geopolitical and economic context shows us more than ever that local renewable energy production, including wind energy, is the cornerstone of the energy transition,” said Thierry Saegeman, CEO of Engie Belgium.
“For decades, ENGIE has been developing affordable and sustainable solutions for its customers. Collaborations like these bring us one step closer to our goal of doubling our onshore wind power capacity to 1000MW by 2030 and accelerating the transition to a carbon-neutral future.”