New solar-powered green hydrogen plant being built near Ghent

13/04/2023

Belgium is constantly exploring the boundaries of lowering carbon emissions, and the latest example of that is in Zelzate (East Flanders), where a solar panel complex is becoming home to a green hydrogen production facility.

Green hydrogen is a fuel obtained through the process of electrolysis of water (using an electric current to create a chemical reaction that wouldn’t otherwise occur) and doing so with green energy.

A new company has been set up by Luminus, Terranova and Nippon Gases: The three have envisaged a 2.5 MW electrolysis unit, with the possibility to double that unit’s production capacity over time.

The first hydrogen particles should be produced there by the beginning of 2025. This first within the vision of North Sea Port, a conglomerate of the ports of Ghent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen, to become a bona fide hydrogen hub within Europe.

The new facility’s location, near the Ghent ring and near the port, makes it a great link in the chain when it comes to achieving that goal.

All of this will be taking place at Sun Hill (Zonneberg), so named for the 55,000 solar panels installed there. Sun Hill itself is a great example of reversing damage: what used to be a polluted plaster dump is now key in making Belgium, Europe and indeed the world a greener place!