This wind farm, located along the E25 motorway in Damré - approximately 100 km from Brussels - will have five wind turbines producing between 32 and 38 MWh/year.
Sarens will work on behalf of Nordex on the installation of the five turbines, including the unloading of the components, with loads of between 17 and 65 tons, and lifting operations of up to 83 metres.
The new Sprimont onshore wind farm, which is currently being built along the E25 highway in the vicinity of Damré in the province of Wallonia, will be able to produce renewable energy for more than 10,000 households in the region, and contribute to offsetting 16% of the CO2 emissions produced in the municipality. Thus, it will directly contribute to the 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that the local council aims to achieve in its climate plan.
This new wind farm, whose construction permits were granted in March 2018, will have five wind turbines capable of generating between 32 and 38 MWh/year. Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental, will be responsible, until January 2025, for the installation of the turbines and the unloading of components, having received the work order from Nordex. Two of the wind turbines will be located on an industrial estate, one of them on the premises of a concrete plant. Sarens' engineering team has taken into account the necessary space constraints for these works. The actual installation works will be carried out at night, partly for safety reasons, to minimise the impact of the lifting works on the operation of the concrete plant.
For the development of this project, several divisions of Sarens BE NV and Sarens France have moved their cranes with lifting capacities between 800 tons and 130 tons to the site. During the two months the Sarens equipment will be at the project's disposal, loads ranging from 17 to 65 tons will be lifted at heights of up to 83 meters.
The creation of the new onshore wind farm at Sprimont is part of Belgium's efforts to decarbonise its energy generation sources. In fact, according to data from the consultancy GlobalData, wind energy already accounted for 15% of all electricity produced in the country by the end of 2023, an upward trend that will be reflected in the coming years in an increase in installed capacity of 23% between 2024 and 2035, at an annual rate of 7%.
According to Bert Kustermans, Project Manager at Sarens, ‘We are very happy to be involved in such an important project for the province of Wallonia. Being able to transfer all the experience Sarens has gained in international onshore wind projects of all types and sizes allows us to optimise our efforts to the maximum and ensure that the work in which we take part at Sprimont will be carried out in the safest and most efficient way. We are proud to play our part in the decarbonisation of Belgian energy’.
Sarens has extensive experience in the lifting, transportation and installation of turbines for windfarms around the world. Also in Belgium, Sarens installed six new wind turbines at the Siemens Gamesa facilities located in the municipalities of Gesves and Ohey. In Belarus, in sub-zero temperatures, Sarens installed the tallest Vestas wind turbines in Asmolovichi. At the Glenn Innes wind farm in New South Wales, Sarens installed the tallest wind turbine towers in Australia.
About Sarens
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With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 5,000 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/