en.Wedoany.com Reported - E.ON Power Plants Belgium and Imerys Graphite & Carbon (IGC) have jointly commissioned an energy recovery unit at Imerys' production site in Willebroek, Belgium, with Belgian Minister for Mobility, Climate, and Ecological Transition Jean-Luc Crucke attending and officiating the inauguration ceremony. Built, owned, and operated by E.ON, the facility captures energy from industrial syngas (rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide) and converts it into electricity using a high-efficiency steam turbine. With an installed capacity of 29 megawatts, the unit can meet the entire electricity demand of the Imerys site, with surplus power fed into the Belgian public grid, equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 40,000 households.
Imerys' Willebroek plant is a world-leading production site for high-purity carbon black. This conductive additive is a key component of lithium-ion batteries for automotive and energy storage systems, as well as a core ingredient in high-performance polymers for electric vehicles, power cables, and energy storage applications.
The carbon black production process generates syngas, which E.ON's new unit efficiently captures and converts into electricity. The unit is also equipped with an advanced flue gas treatment system, including DeNOx and DeSOx systems, representing one of the most advanced emission control technologies available, reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions in compliance with EU regulatory requirements. The unit utilizes 100% of the syngas previously flared, integrating DeNOx and DeSOx flue gas treatment systems, and is supported by a long-term multi-year partnership between E.ON and Imerys.
"This unit is a lighthouse project for Imerys Graphite & Carbon, representing a step change in our production process optimization, maximizing resource efficiency and reducing our climate and emission impact. We developed this project together with our partner E.ON over the past few years, and it has now been successfully completed. The mutual trust and respect between our two companies, combined with solid professionalism, have achieved this remarkable success through the efforts of our passionate employees," said Frank Vercruyssen, Vice President and General Manager of Imerys Graphite & Carbon (IGC).
The project was announced in June 2023, when E.ON and Imerys signed a long-term cooperation agreement, followed by construction at the Imerys site in Willebroek. The unit is now fully operational, with the ceremony marking the official start of commercial operations.
The energy recovery unit was built, owned, and operated by E.ON Power Plants Belgium, a subsidiary of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, securing power supply to Imerys through a long-term multi-year agreement. The company also operates similar industrial energy units at Oleon in Ertvelde, Promat (Etex Building Performance) in Tisselt, and Dow Benelux in Terneuzen.
