• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
Port of Antwerp-Bruges is installing a hydro turbine at the Kallo Lock. It will generate electricity using the power of the water that flows daily between the River Scheldt and the docks. The project is a collaboration between Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Omexom and De Meyer, with support from PIONEERS.
"You can think of a hydro turbine as an underwater wind turbine," explains Carl Bosteels, CEO of De Meyer. His company is responsible for designing, building and testing the turbine. "During every high and low tide, a large volume of water flows between the docks and the River Scheldt through the existing discharge channels. The turbine converts that motion into electricity."
Ports consume a lot of energy. "That is why we are looking for smart ways to make infrastructure more sustainable," explains Matthias Lootens, project manager at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. One of those solutions is to harness the energy generated by the tides of the River Scheldt. "The Port of Antwerp has seven locks equipped with discharge channels. That represents a huge amount of hydropower that has remained untapped until now."
Carl adds: "Tidal energy is a reliable source of energy. High and low tides can be predicted exactly. As a result, we know exactly how much electricity we can produce. It is also a sustainable solution, as very little equipment is required to convert the water's power into electricity." This makes this type of energy especially interesting.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges will use the hydro turbine's energy to operate the bridges and lock gates around the Kallo Lock, as well as to heat and cool the lock building. "We expect the hydro turbine to be able to provide up to 75% of the electricity required," says Vince Vandeven, Project Manager at Omexom.
Omexom is also connecting the hydro turbine to the electricity grid. "The advantage of this is that you do not have to use the electricity generated immediately. It can also be fed back into the electricity grid. This way, no energy is lost."
The installation of the hydro turbine is part of PIONEERS, a European-funded collaborative project focused on concrete solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ports. "Port of Antwerp-Bruges is taking a leading role in this. What works well here can also be implemented by other ports across Europe," Matthias says.
The hydro turbine will soon be commissioned. After that, the key will be to ensure it operates as efficiently as possible. "The data generated by the operation of the hydro turbine are crucial," Matthias adds. "Those insights will determine which steps are realistic and valuable in the future."
