Belgian energy island may get go ahead in early 2015 - ministry
10/12/2014 08:36
BRUSSELS, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Belgium will decide early next
year whether to build a ring-shaped island off its coast to
store wind energy, in one of the world's first attempts to make
the renewable source available on demand, the government said.
Wind energy is often abundant in the large wind parks off
the Belgian coast, but storing it for when there is little wind
is an issue, along with not wasting it when there is a surplus.
Using an idea borrowed from hydroelectric dams, the island
would be emptied of water when there is a lot of wind, using
energy from windmills. When there is an energy shortfall, a lock
would be opened to let the sea water back in and at the same
time power turbines and generate electricity.
Located in the North Sea five kilometres (3.1 miles) from
the Belgian town of De Haan, the project will have a storage
capacity of 2 gigawatt hours (GWh).
It will be built by a consortium led by GDF Suez's GSZ.PA
Electrabel and Belgian dredging firm DEME CFEB.BR .
"We are currently in talks with other authorities and hope
to give the go-ahead for the project in early 2015," a
spokeswoman for the ministry said.
Belgium plans to exit nuclear power by 2025 but has been
struggling to find ways to replace nuclear plants capable of
generating 5,860 megawatts (MW).
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by David Holmes)
((robertjan.bartunek@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 2876850; Reuters
Messaging: robert-jan.bartunek.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: BELGIUM ENERGY/STORAGE