Modern Wind Turbines in Belgium

The modern wind turbines and the old windmills have in common that they transform energy from the wind into mechanical energy. In an old windmill this is often used for grinding corn or for pumping up water. In a wind turbine this energy is transformed in electrical energy. Both are "green" energy-sources.

Translation

In Flanders a "Wind Turbine" will be indicated as "Windturbine" or sometimes, faulty, "Windmolen". In Wallonia this becomes "Eolienne". A "Wind Farm" is in Flanders often called "Windmolen Park" and in Wallonia "Parc Eolien".

Belgian Wind Farms on Google Maps

The first impression, looking at this map, could be that Belgium is built full with wind turbines. This is certainly not the case. An important number of these wind farms are not yet operational end November 2007. But within a year from now, most will produce electricity.

However the biggest project (No 1, 60 huge 5 MW turbines on the Thornton sandbank, 30 km (20 miles) from the Belgian coast in the North Sea) will need much more time to be completed. The first mono pile hollow concrete foundations, to be placed in 30 m deep water, are actually constructed in the Oostende port area.

All Wind Farms with their GPS-Coordinates

What exactly are the coordinates of a wind farm? We have chosen the coordinates of a point on a road, to which you can drive with your car and where you are somewhat in the middle of the group of wind turbines. The big advantage of modern wind turbines is that you remark them from a great distance. Like mountains, however, they are always at a greater distance than you would estimate at first glance.

Belgian Modern Wind Turbines		WGS 84
				UTM	N	E
Number	Place (number of Turbines)	Easting	Northing	Zone	Latitude	Longitude
1	Offshore Thornton Bank (60)	496615	5711404	31	51.553714	2.951176
2	Hoogstraten-Meer (6)	620185	5704075	31	51.475054	4.730569
3	Antwerp, Scheldelaan (2)	589750	5691859	31	51.370885	4.289374
4	Antwerp BASF (8)	587104	5691555	31	51.368564	4.251296
5	Zeebrugge Jetty (27)	514777	5690043	31	51.361458	3.212243
6	Zandvliet (2)	589355	5689826	31	51.352671	4.283190
7	Antwerp Thijsmanstunnel (4)	593447	5685677	31	51.314716	4.340848
8	Kallo (1)	587737	5680572	31	51.269732	4.257684
9	Brugge Havendam Oost (12)	515271	5677784	31	51.251212	3.218814
10	Brugge Pathoekeweg (14)	514824	5677630	31	51.249839	3.212402
11	Lommel-Balendijk (4)	657771	5675890	31	51.212582	5.258887
12	Lommel-Gislom (4)	657472	5675172	31	51.206213	5.254294
13	Kasterlee, Bobbejaanland (1)	632930	5673698	31	51.199205	4.902643
14	Eeklo 1 (1)	539682	5671811	31	51.196329	3.567918
15	Kruibeke, Braemland II (2)	589362	5670945	31	51.182933	4.278571
16	Kruibeke, Braemland I (3)	589182	5670486	31	51.178835	4.275883
17	Eeklo 2 (1)	537973	5670049	31	51.180601	3.543274
18	Eeklo 3 (2)	537695	5669796	31	51.178345	3.539270
19	Ghent-haven (6)	553818	5668652	31	51.166768	3.769738
20	Gistel (6)	496684	5667952	31	51.162996	2.952577
21	Oostkamp (4)	514771	5667644	31	51.160045	3.211232
22	Ghent-haven 2 (5)	553470	5666494	31	51.147397	3.764440
23	Middelkerke, Nieuwpoort (3)	483510	5665562	31	51.141277	2.764281
24	Ghent Rodenhuize (2)	554960	5665432	31	51.137707	3.785578
25	Nieuwpoort (6)	483839	5664950	31	51.135783	2.769012
26	Zedelgem (1)	511482	5664912	31	51.135554	3.164111
27	Schelle (3)	592575	5664473	31	51.124240	4.322864
28	Laakdal, Nike (6)	645736	5662885	31	51.098913	5.081436
29	Ghent (3)	554601	5660392	31	51.092424	3.779684
30	Wondelgem (2)	547538	5659774	31	51.087496	3.678754
31	Puurs (2)	594892	5659708	31	51.081024	4.354711
32	Kapelle-op-den-Bos (3)	596384	5650245	31	50.995704	4.373487
33	Nieuwkapelle (2)	486241	5649380	31	50.995835	2.803935
34	Melle (3)	556887	5648502	31	50.985293	3.810457
35	Hasselt (3)	666787	5645777	31	50.939466	5.373964
36	Tielt (2)	632986	5642737	31	50.920931	4.892065
37	Izegem Mandeldal (2)	514231	5641608	31	50.925934	3.202487
38	Lanaken (4)	686793	5639842	31	50.880020	5.655373
39	Zellik-Ganshoren (3)	590964	5637446	31	50.881520	4.293077
40	Ieper (Ypres) (9)	490598	5637157	31	50.886006	2.866338
41	Poperinge (2)	482262	5632528	31	50.844184	2.748055
42	Kortrijk-Zwevegem (4)	521903	5629914	31	50.820534	3.310946
43	Halle (1)	585250	5620511	31	50.730132	4.207938
44	Landen (12)	647859	5619330	31	50.706959	5.094095
45	Perwez (9)	626800	5608438	31	50.614030	4.792279
46	Villers-le-Bouillet (8)	657649	5605852	31	50.583270	5.226906
47	Warisoulx (4)	632779	5600416	31	50.540595	4.873879
48	Sombreffe (6)	615775	5600153	31	50.541844	4.633935
49	Fernelmont (3)	638610	5599882	31	50.534442	4.955922
50	Andenne-Héron (3)	646844	5599342	31	50.527580	5.071820
51	Pont-à-Celles (8)	595302	5599327	31	50.538113	4.344882
52	Marbais (8)	608295	5599225	31	50.534935	4.528141
53	Huy-Modave (4)	661324	5596366	31	50.497024	5.274669
54	Tinlot (7)	669654	5593413	31	50.468137	5.390676
55	Bütgenbach (4)	304034	5592143	32	50.448527	6.239641
56	Ouffet (3)	675653	5589037	31	50.427052	5.473077
57	Floreffe (7)	621754	5586620	31	50.418978	4.713871
58	Gesves-Ohey (12)	649776	5585903	31	50.406058	5.107780
59	Büllingen (6)	309579	5585853	32	50.393846	6.320847
60	Estinnes (11)	577070	5585808	31	50.419242	4.084864
61	Durbuy (7)	673736	5584970	31	50.391080	5.444231
62	Quiévrain (7)	550294	5583151	31	50.398252	3.707639
63	Amel (Amblève) (5)	302250	5581010	32	50.347923	6.220402
64	Mettet, Saint-Gérard (11)	617423	5580912	31	50.368547	4.651150
65	Mettet, Le Roux (5)	624500	5580038	31	50.359236	4.750326
66	Mettet, Denée (6)	625239	5576599	31	50.328165	4.759568
67	Mettet, Denée 2 (5)	626879	5575695	31	50.319688	4.782293
68	Mettet, Graux (5)	621073	5575421	31	50.318446	4.700687
69	Dorinne (6)	640911	5574731	31	50.307835	4.978925
70	Tarcienne, Walcourt (6)	607011	5573311	31	50.302197	4.502640
71	Thuin (5)	595817	5572920	31	50.300606	4.345404
72	Ham-sur-Heure (8)	596479	5572457	31	50.296336	4.354578
73	Ciney-Sovet (3)	647473	5572322	31	50.284579	5.070078
74	Marche-en-Famenne, Gerny (6)	663249	5563910	31	50.204832	5.287723
75	Beaumont, Froidchapelle (10)	595381	5563903	31	50.219603	4.337012
76	Houyet-Herhet (2)	637981	5558245	31	50.160343	4.931803
77	Ronchampay-Beausaint (4)	681075	5559674	31	50.161587	5.535268
78	Cerfontaine (12)	606348	5559323	31	50.176556	4.489409
79	Mesnil-Eglise (1)	639765	5557854	31	50.156410	4.956621
80	Couvin (2)	603553	5546568	31	50.062371	4.446817
81	Sainte-Ode (6) + (8)	685785	5544859	31	50.027022	5.593942
82	Momignies (8)	584813	5544147	31	50.043569	4.184516
83	Baileux (4)	598737	5544087	31	50.040882	4.378911
84	Villeroux (6)	690523	5541131	31	49.992031	5.658171
85	Bièvre Pont Mack (7)	644962	5535380	31	49.953158	5.020823

More info on the Wind Farms

1 Offshore Thornton Bank. This will be a 300 MW wind farm in the North Sea. Some 30 km of the coast of Belgium in 30 m deep waters on the Thornton bank. The first 6 wind turbines of 5 MW each are scheduled for 2008. The total of 60 such wind turbines should be completed in 2011.

2 Hoogstraten-Meer. Six 2 MW turbines in 2004.

3 Antwerp, Scheldelaan. Two 2 MW wind turbines operational in 2007. The total number of wind turbines in the Antwerp port district will add to 38 or so.

4 Antwerp BASF. Six 3 MW turbines will be erected on the BASF terrains in the Antwerp Harbor region.

5 Zeebrugge Jetty. Ten 200 kW turbines in 1987 + Twelve 400 kW turbines in 2000 + three 600 kW turbines in 2003.

6 Zandvliet. Two 2 MW turbines in 2004.

7 Antwerp Thijsmanstunnel. Four 1.8 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

8 Kallo. One 600 kW turbine in 2002.

9 Brugge Havendam Oost. Twelve 2 MW turbines in 2008.

10 Brugge Pathoekeweg. Seven 600 kW turbines in 2000 + seven 1.8 MW turbines in 2004.

11 Lommel-Balendijk. Four 2 MW turbines in 2006.

12 Lommel-Gislom. Four 2 MW turbines in 2005.

13 Kasterlee, Bobbejaanland. One 660 kW turbine in 2002 in an amusement park.

14 Eeklo 1. One 600 kW turbine in 2002.

15 Kruibeke, Braemland I. Three 2 MW turbines in 2005.

16 Kruibeke, Braemland II. Two 2 MW turbines. Operational Early 2008.

17 Eeklo 2. One 1.8 MW turbine in 2002.

18 Eeklo 3. Two 1.8 MW turbines in 2002.

19 Ghent-haven. Six 2 MW turbines in 2006.

20 Gistel. Six 2.3 MW turbines in 2007.

21 Oostkamp. Four 1.8 MW turbines. Operational in 2008.

22 Ghent-haven 2. Five 2 MW turbines in 2006.

23 Middelkerke, Nieuwpoort. One 660 kW turbine in 1999, one 900 kW in 2003, and one 800 kW in 2007.

24 Ghent Rodenhuize. Two 2 MW turbines in 2003.

25 Nieuwpoort. Six 2.5 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

26 Zedelgem. One 1.8 MW turbine in 2002.

27 Schelle. Tree 1.5 MW turbines in 2002.

28 Laakdal on Nike terrain. Six 1.5 MW turbines in 2006. The turbines are mounted on very light pylons. They are not really nice, but when something goes wrong, they will not fall down in their total length, but collapse somewhat vertically.

Wind farm in Laakdal on the Nike terrain

29 Ghent. Three 3 MW turbines in 2007.

30 Wondelgem. Two 2 MW turbines in 2003.

31 Puurs. Two 2 MW turbines in 2006.

32 Kapelle-op-den-Bos. Tree 400 kW turbines in 2001.

33 Nieuwkapelle. Two 800 kW turbines in 2005.

34 Melle. Three 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

35 Hasselt. Three 400 kW turbines in 1999.

36 Tielt. Two 2 MW turbines in 2007.

37 Izegem Mandeldal. Two 1 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

38 Lanaken. Four 2 MW turbines in 2005.

39 Zellik-Ganshoren. Three 2 MW turbines in 2007/2008.

40 Ieper (Ypres). Nine 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

41 Poperinge. Two 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

42 Kortrijk-Zwevegem. Four 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

43 Halle. One 1.6 MW turbine in 2003.

44 Landen. Twelve 2MW turbines. Operational in 2009?.

45 Perwez. One 600 kW turbine in 2000. Added five 1.5 MW turbines in 2005 and three 2 MW turbines in 2006. Every tube mast is decorated with 4 very large photos of local school children with their names. Nice idea.

46 Villers-le-Bouillet. Six 1.5 MW turbines in 2005. Two 1.5 MW turbines added in September 2007.

47 Warisoulx. Four 2 MW turbines for 2008.

48 Sombreffe. Four 1.5 MW turbines in 2003. Added two 1.5 MW turbines in 2006.

49 Fernelmont. Three 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2009?

50 Andenne-Héron. Three 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

51 Pont-à-Celles. Eight 3 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

52 Marbais. Eight 2 MW turbines in 2007.

53 Huy-Modave. Four 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2009?

54 Tinlot. Seven 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

55 Bütgenbach. Four 2 MW turbines in 2003.

56 Ouffet. Three 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2009?

57 Floreffe. Seven 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

58 Gesves-Ohey. Twelve 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2009?

59 Büllingen. Six 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

60 Estinnes. Eleven 6 MW turbines! In May 2010 over half of them where operational. Rest under construction. Very nice landscape with beautiful small roads.

61 Durbuy. Seven 2 MW turbines. Operational in 2008?

62 Quiévrain. Seven 2 MW turbines in 2007.

63 Amel (Amblève). Five 2.3 MW turbines. Operational in 2008. On February 3, 2008 we found 3 turbines operational. A fourth unit erected, but not yet connected to the grid. The fifth unit was partially erected.