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.

The choice of renewable energy technologies is based on a mix of wind turbines, floating and ground-mounted solar panels, as well as storage solutions such as batteries. These will also be designed in a 'nature-inclusive' way, meaning they will incorporate flower meadows and landscape elements such as dead hedges, amphibian ponds, and nesting boxes.

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

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