The Colruyt supermarket chain and Fluxys, which runs the gas network, plan to produce hydrogen from electricity derived from offshore windmills, L’Echo and De Tijd reported on Tuesday.
If their project gets off the ground, it will mark the first time that green hydrogen is produced on such a scale in Belgium.
The idea is to use excess wind energy to produce hydrogen, a high-energy gas that can be kept in reserve for use when energy is less abundant. It has the added benefit of being produced without emitting CO2 or any other greenhouse gas, contrary to hydrogen produced from gas.
The projected plant will have a capacity of 12 to 25 megawatts and can be extended. Two sites are under consideration, Zeebrugge or Antwerp Port. The investment cost is estimated at 25 million euros.
Preparatory work on the project has been completed, the two dailies learned, and the boards of the Colruyt Group and Fluxys are expected to approve the investment in the next few weeks.
The two groups are examining different possibilities of innovation bonuses, investment assistance or operational subsidies.
The Brussels Times
