PRESS RELEASE – 7 June 2018Port of Oostende puts XANT wind

turbine in operation for production of own electricity

Ostende, Belgium – PORT OF OOSTENDE is inaugurating a medium sized wind turbine at the REBO-terminal, in presence of the Flemish Minister of Energy Bart Tommelein.

The XANT M-21 turbine produces 100kW, the produced electricity covers a part of the necessary electricity consumption of the port. Middle sized wind turbines are used for decentral energy production. These turbines are installed closer to the consumer, where the produced energy is directly used.

In Ostend it is not possible, among other things because of the proximity of the airport, to install a big multi Mega Watt wind turbine. That is why the port chose a valid alternative, a medium sized wind turbine. The simplicity, low maintenance cost and the high energy yield of the XANT wind turbine made it easy for the Port of Oostende to choose for XANT. The produced energy will be mainly used for the Port of Oostende itself. Surely the more the port can consume itself, the faster the investment will be paid back. What the Port of Oostende is demonstrating here, is a perfect example of decentral energy production. In this case, the generated energy will be used locally and will not be sent to the grid. Decentral energy production with the help of medium sized wind turbines will bring Flanders a bit closer to the goals of COP21 that were set and approved in Paris. It is also perfectly aligned with the Energy Plan of the Flemish Minister of

Energy, Bart Tommelein. Moverover, the installation of XANT causes a reduction of the carbon emissions in the port, resulting in an improvement of the air quality.

Flemish Minister of Energy Bart Tommelein: “This medium sized wind turbine is literally and figuratively a new beacon for Ostend. It is an example of putting the Flemish Wind Plan into practice: it is situated at a location that did not seem possible before, the port, and it is supplying current locally to the surrounding companies. At the seaside, there is an abundance of wind as renewable energy source, it is about time that we start using it more.”

XANT, is a producer of medium sized wind turbines, with as the companies 3E from Brussels, VYNCKE NV from Harelbeke, the Flemish Investment Fund PMV and the “business angel” Jo VERSAVEL from Kortrijk.

PECS: European project of the PORT OF OOSTENDE

The installation and operation of the XANT wind turbine is monitored in the context of the European project PECS, that is coordinated by the Port of Oostende. PECS is the abbreviation of Ports Carbon and Energy Savings, and it is receiving funding from the Interreg 2 Seas Programme 2014-2020. Together with the partners in Belgium, France, The Netherlands and the UK, innovative technologies and systems are being developed that will contribute to the reduction of carbon production and the increase of energy efficiency in port areas.

Interreg 2 Seas program

Interreg 2 Seas is a European Territorial Cooperation Programme covering England, France, the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders). The Programme is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and has a total of €241m ERDF to co-finance projects in the 2014 - 2020 period.

The overall objective is to develop an innovative, knowledge and research based, sustainable and inclusive 2 Seas area, where natural resources are protected and the green economy is promoted. In order to realize this, projects that directly contribute to one of the specific objectives (such as Low Carbon Technologies) can be part-financed for up to 60 % of their total project budget.

More information on Port of Oostende

Laure Martroye, marketing & PRPort of Oostende

Tel: +32 478 242 883E-mail: laure.martroye@portofoostende.be

Website: www.portofoostende.be

More information on PECS

Wim Stubbe, project coordinator PECSPort of Oostende

Tel: +32 487 54 87 68E-mail: wim.stubbe@portofoostende.be

Website: www.pecs2seas.eu

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