Abengoa Building World's Largest Biomass Plant

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Spain's Abengoa (NASDAQ:ABGB) (Seville, Spain) has announced plans to build the world's largest biomass plant in Ghent, Belgium.

Abengoa won the €315 million ($394 million) contract from electricity and gas company, Belgian Eco Energy (Bee). The proposed Bee Power Gent plant will be built at the Port of Ghent, at the Ghent Coal Terminal site on the Ghent-Terneuzen canal. It will have a generating capacity of 215-megawatts (MW) and a further 100 MW of heat for local businesses and homes. The plant will be fuelled by raw material biomass including wood chips and agro-residues.

"With the development of this new plant, Abengoa will support Belgium being closer to achieve the environmental objectives set by the European Union," Abengoa stated. "Abengoa has biomass plants in Europe, Latin America and the United States that meet the criteria of responsibility, energy efficiency and provide large economic and social benefits in the communities in which they are installed."

The power plant will meet the strictest emission standards as to dust, nitrogen and sulphur, Belgian Eco Energy said. It will be capable of supplying enough power for approximately 450,000 homes -- or 2% of Belgium's total electricity.

The project is at an advanced stage. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been officially approved and the building and environmental permits were due last month. The Flemish government already approved the green power certificates and, according to the current timetable for construction, the plant will be ready for commissioning in the third quarter of 2017.

Belgium became home to the world's largest biomass plant in 2011 when GDF Suez (Paris, France) and its subsidiary Electrabel SA (Brussels, Belgium) fired up their new Rodenhuize biomass plant, with a generating capacity of 180 MW. The biomass plant involved the conversion of a former coal-fired unit. For additional information, see September 28, 2011, article - GDF Suez Fires Up Belgian Biomass Plant.

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