Green energy installations for De Watergroep

De Watergroep, the largest water company in Flanders, aims to become energy-neutral by 2030. To achieve this, it has partnered with BESIX Group, Perpetum Energy, and Rebel Development to develop, finance, build and operate multi-technology renewable energy facilities with a total production capacity of 92 GWh/yr.

Project overview

The consortium will deploy a mix of green energy technologies - including wind turbines, floating and ground-mounted solar panels, and battery storage - across De Watergroep’s 1,200 hectares of land and four large water-saving basins. The installations will be environmentally friendly, including spaces for plants and animals like meadows, amphibian pools, and bird islands.

We want to create a good level of support among all stakeholders. By listening to what is going on in the local area, we try to tailor our projects as much as possible to local concerns as early as the design phase.

Ortwin Deroo

Business Development Manager, De Watergroep

Key highlights

General information
Client: De Watergroep
Sector: Public Utility / Water
Building type: Industrial & infrastructure
Status: First plants target 2027; full deployment 2030
Technical data
Installed capacity:  92 GWh (target by 2030)
Number of panels:  100 MWp (143 thousand pannels)
Roof surface used: N/A (includes floating and ground-mounted systems)
Inverter type: TBD
Panel orientation: Mixed (floating, ground-mounted)
Battery storage: Included
Smart curtailment system:  Yes
Charging points: No
Objectives & benefits
Expected energy savings: Significant reduction in grid dependency
Self-consumption vs grid injection: Prioritised self-consumption & consumption through a vPPA (virtual Power Purchage Agreement)
CO₂ reduction: Major contribution to De Watergroep’s carbon neutrality
Regulatory compliance: Aligned with Flemish and EU energy transition goals
Financing
Model: Consortium-based investment with public-private collaboration
Support provided: Infrastructure & financing

Want to know more about BESIX Power as an renewable energy partner?