Ventis and Engie have today commissioned a new wind farm in Belgium.
The eight-turbine wind farm at Gouy-Lez-Piéton in Courcelles has an installed capacity of almost 29MW.
The plant will produce an average of 51GWh annually, equivalent to the consumption of nearly 14,500 households, and will avoid 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The eight wind turbines each have a capacity of 3.6MW.
The new wind farm is the result of a partnership between Ventis, which owns six of the turbines, and Engie, which owns two.
As part of the development, various environmental measures have been taken to compensate for the impact on local bird populations.
Eight hectares have been set aside to create a suitable habitat for certain bird species that are sensitive to wind turbines.
To protect certain species of bats, an automated system can temporarily shut down the turbines during the riskiest periods, depending on the season, hour and weather.
In addition, an independent engineering firm will monitor the noise level of the wind farm to ensure it does not have an impact on local residents.
Federal minister for mobility, climate and the environment Jean-Luc Crucke said: “You cannot impose the climate transition, you build it step by step, project by project.
“This wind farm is concrete proof of this: clean, locally produced energy at the service of citizens and the community.
“It shows that our country is capable of making progress towards greater energy independence and greater resilience.
“I would like to highlight here the fruitful co-operation between the different actors: it is in this way that we will succeed together in the environmental transition.”
The commissioning is a major milestone for the wind farm project, which was first launched more than 13 years ago.
Engie Belgium chief executive Vincent Verbeke said: “It is important to celebrate events such as the commissioning of this new wind farm in Courcelles.
“It is another step on the road to decarbonisation, a major and increasingly pressing challenge for our planet.
“This challenge can be met thanks to projects like this, which produce sustainable, reliable and affordable energy.
“I would like to thank my teams for the work they have done and Ventis for this collaborative project.”