Preparatory groundworks have commenced this month for the construction of eight new wind turbines in the port of Zeebrugge, with a total capacity of 42.6 MW, in a joint investment by ENGIE, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Portfineco, a vehicle jointly owned by Zefier and Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
ENGIE will manage the operational management of the turbines through the joint venture company Seagull I.
Three of the eight turbines will be located on the premises of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen RoRo terminal, with the remaining five sited on the premises of International Car Operators, where ENGIE, ICO and Portfineco already commissioned an 11-turbine wind farm of 44 MW capacity in 2020.
Tower masts, nacelles and blades are scheduled for installation in the second half of 2027, with the turbines expected to begin generating approximately 115 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually from the start of 2028, equivalent to the average consumption of approximately 33,000 Belgian households.
Vincent Verbeke, CEO of ENGIE Belgium, described the project as part of the company’s focus on large-scale renewable development in port and industrial areas, strengthening Zeebrugge’s role as an energy hub for the region.
Dirk De fauw, Vice-Chairman of Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Mayor of Bruges, noted that the project brings the port well on its way to reaching half a gigawatt of installed wind capacity across its platforms by 2030.
Henk Kindt, Chairman of Zefier, highlighted Portfineco’s participation as reflecting the cooperative’s commitment to renewable energy benefiting its 160 shareholder municipalities.
