Imerys and E.ON Open 29 MW Energy Recovery Plant at Willebroek Battery Materials Site

fuelcellsworks.com

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

Imerys and E.ON have inaugurated a 29 MW energy recovery plant at Imerys' Willebroek site in Belgium. The plant captures syngas from carbon black production, which is a key conductive additive for lithium-ion batteries, and converts it into electricity using a high-efficiency steam turbine. This replaces flaring, supplies the entire Imerys site, and feeds surplus power equivalent to the annual consumption of 40,000 households into the Belgian grid. The facility also includes advanced DeNOx and DeSOx flue gas treatment to reduce local emissions. The project is backed by an 18-year partnership between E.ON and Imerys. It demonstrates how industrial off-gas can be valorized to cut emissions and support grid stability. For the carbon and climate community, this is a concrete example of industrial energy recovery reducing waste and providing low-carbon electricity. The article includes key figures and reactions from company and government officials, making it a useful case study for industrial decarbonization in Europe.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

29 MW from syngas that used to be flared. That is a real efficiency gain. The 18 year PPA with E.ON is interesting too, shows industrial users can lock in long term deals for waste heat recovery.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Yeah the flaring elimination is the big win here. 100% valorization of syngas that was previously wasted. That is a direct emissions reduction, not an offset or credit. Hard to argue with that.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

29 MW is decent for a single industrial site. But I wonder about the capacity factor. Syngas production from carbon black is continuous? If it runs 24/7 that is a solid baseload source. Would be good to see the actual annual MWh output.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The 18 year PPA structure is worth noting. That kind of long term contract makes project finance easier for waste heat recovery. Also the DeNOx/DeSOx treatment shows they are addressing local air quality, not just carbon. That helps with permitting and community acceptance.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Good point on the emissions controls. Many industrial heat recovery projects skip that and then face pushback. This one seems to have covered the full stack. The 29 MW is also not tiny, that is a meaningful chunk of local generation.