There will be 66 200 solar panels on the grounds around Ostend airport. Energy company EnergyVision will start installing them there in autumn. Ostend-Bruges airport will so become one of the largest solar parks in Belgium.
The project involves an investment of 35 million euros. The electricity generated should power the airport, while part also goes to residents and Antwerp Airport.
37 000 MWp
The solar panels will be located to the left and right of the runways and in the aircraft parking area. The total area corresponds to 61 football fields.
The panels will be suitable for an annual production of almost 37 000 megawatt hours, generating energy initially to supply electricity to the entire airport site. Still, they will also provide green power to 10 000 Ostend families. In addition, their energy production will also save 9 600 tons of CO2 annually.
Co-investing through citizen participation
EnergyVision, the solar panel company into which entrepreneur Marc Coucke, among others, has pumped millions, will be responsible for installation, maintenance, and financing.
There will also be kinetic tiles where travelers can generate their own electricity as they step onto the plane.
Throughout www.stroomvantzeetje.be, individuals can also co-invest in the project. Whoever wants to can co-invest in the installation through a loan over eight years with a fixed annual interest rate of 5%.
An application for an environmental permit is currently being finalized.
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