Flanders

The Antwerp municipal port company (GHA) and the company operating on the Left Bank, Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever (MLSO), which controls the site and industrial policy on the Left Bank, are collaborating on a new wind park on the Left Bank of the River Scheldt in the port of Antwerp. As yet, the exact number and power of the turbines is not clear.

According to MLSO director Peter Van de Putte, it could be as many as thirty turbines with an average capacity of 3 MW per turbine. That would mean a total of at least 90 MW, which would be sufficient to meet the electricity needs of about 74,000 people. The turbines on the Left Bank will however be for the exclusive use of businesses. In view of the fact that no turbines are allowed on the bird course of flight, an avifauna chart of the area will first be drafted in a study, with due observance of the shadows of the pylons, the noise pollution and the inhibiting infrastructure. By September Van de Putte hopes to establish which of the 150 businesses on the Left Bank will be willing to accommodate turbines on their site. Ideally he would like to commence the construction of all turbines by 2011. In addition to the GHA (37.5%), the municipalities of Beveren (10.4%) and Zwijndrecht (2.5%), the inter-communal company of the Land van Waas (34.6%) and the Flemish Region (15%) have a share in MLSO.

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