Construction of Wallonia's largest wind farm now underway
On 5 July 2018, in the Walloon district of Villers-le-Bouillet along the E42 motorway between Namur and Liege, construction began of the first of a series of 13 new wind turbines that should be operational in 2019. This is where the electricity producer and energy supplier EDF Luminus is already operating 13 units in the two neighbouring municipalities of Wanze and Verlaine. The 26 turbines combined will form the largest wind farm in Wallonia.
Here are some figures to blow you away. The 13 extra units will each be capable of producing 3.45 MW, worth an additional capacity of 44.85 MW. The 26 turbines will produce an amazing annual total of 121,800,000 kWh of green energy, equivalent to the annual consumption of 30,450 households. This will reduce CO₂ emissions by 52,200 tons compared to a coal-fired thermal power station. Or the equivalent to the emissions of 23,000 cars or 8,500 homes.
Our energy for heating, transport or electricity is still largely generated with fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels is a key issue in many environmental problems. With renewable energy, we can produce electricity without a specific impact on the environment. Furthermore, renewable energy sources tend to help in reducing our dependency on fuel imports. After all, it is an objective of the European Union to increase our energy independence.