BRUSSELS: Construction officially started in the Port of Antwerp breezy Scheldt river left bank area of what is planned to be a 40 to 50-turbine wind farm.
The EUR70 million (USD73.5 million) first phase will see 15 turbines erected – enough to supply 35,000 Flemish homes with green electricity when they come on stream in late October – and was inaugurated by Flemish energy minister Annemie Turtelboom, Beveren mayor Marc Van de Vijver and Antwerp port alderman Marc Van Peel.
Those first turbines, supplied by Siemens Wind Power Denmark and each with 3MW capacity, a 113 m rotor diameter and a shaft height of 115 m, will be installed on port company sites provided by Antwerp Gateway, Borealis, Euroports, Global Container Services, Indaver, Luiknatie, Norbert Dentressangle, Sea Port Terminals, Tabaknatie, and Van Loon Transport.
It’s thanks to the willingness of the many companies to go along with the project, and the collaboration between the partners, that we have been able to get where we are today,” stated Van de Vijver.