Engie has commenced dismantling of two wind turbines in the port of Ghent, in Belgium, which it will replace with three larger and more efficient models.
In 2021 Engie will install three 4.1MW wind turbines, totalling 12.3MW of capacity, on the site of its biomass power station in Rodenhuize, to replace the two 2MW units.
The new turbines, which will be installed in autumn next year, will be located on the same site of the Max Green biomass power station but in different locations.
One of the dismantled turbines is destined for a second life in Italy, where it will be rebuilt and installed by a new owner.
The other turbine will also be repurposed elsewhere in Europe later this year.
The new turbines will have rotor diameters of 149 metres and tip heights of 200 metres.
The replacement of the Rodenhuize wind turbines is part of Engie’s goal to have more than 550MW of onshore wind capacity by 2020 and to optimise its existing wind farms by replacing old wind turbines with new, more efficient models.
Engie Benelux chief executive Philippe Van Troeye said: “The replacement of the wind turbines next to the Rodenhuize biomass power plant by new, more efficient models fits perfectly with our ambition to accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral future.
“Wind energy is one of the cornerstones of the energy transition. We continue to innovate in this field and use the latest technologies to produce as much local, carbon-free energy as possible. In this way, together with our 17,000 experts in energy and services in Belgium, we want to stimulate and promote energy efficiency.”