VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT : Belgian Eco-Energy chooses Veolia to manage the future biomass power plant in Ghent
October 12, 2015 at 09:00 am EDT
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The electricity and gas company, Belgian Eco-Energy (BEE), has entrusted Veolia with a 15-year contract to operate one of the largest biomass power plants in Europe, which will be built on the international port of Ghent.
The new 100% biomass power plant in Ghent will be equipped with a cogeneration system producing electricity and heat simultaneously - 215 MW of electricity and 100 MW of thermal energy. It will provide 2% of the total electricity production in Belgium, the equivalent consumption of 450,000 households, and will provide heating to 240,000 residents through a district heating network. Veolia will accompany BEE from the construction of the plant, which will begin in 2016.
Equipped with the most advanced technologies, the biomass power plant in Ghent will be fueled by wood chips and agro-residues, and each year will avoid the emission of nearly 450,000 CO
2
equivalent metric tons compared to a similar natural gas facility. The project will help increase the share of renewable energies in the country's energy mix and contribute to reaching the 2020 European Union climate change target: a 20%
[1]
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990.
'WithVeolia, we are confident of having a world-renowned partner able to commit to a results guarantee because of the experience they have acquired with similar projects,' says Michael Corten, CEO of BEE
Veolia Environnement is the world leader in environmental management services. Net sales break down by activity as follows:
- water-related services (40.6%; No. 1 worldwide): water resources management, drinking water distribution and delivery, wastewater collection, treatment and recovery, engineering, design, construction of water treatment facilities and customer relationship management, etc.;
- waste management services (32.4%; no. 1 worldwide): collection, treatment and recycling of liquid, solid, non-hazardous and hazardous waste, waste treatment and recovery through composting, energy recovery from waste, etc. Veolia Environnement also provides urban waste management services (maintenance and cleaning of public spaces, provision of mechanized street cleaning and façade treatment services), maintenance of industrial sites, and dismantling of industrial facilities and equipment at the end of their useful life;
- energy services (27%; No. 1 in Europe): delegated management of urban heating and air conditioning networks, management of thermal and multi-technique services (operation of heating systems, facility design, construction, and maintenance, etc.) and industrial services (industrial process analysis, production equipment operation, service, and maintenance), general management of buildings and public lighting.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: France (21.5%), Europe (41.9%), North America (7.4%), Asia (5.6%), Africa and the Middle East (4.9%), Pacific (4.3%), Latin America (4%) and other (10.4%).