Report - Blue Power Plant - Belgium - August 2020

[aitakaitov]

We have visited this place in summer 2019, but our visit was very short, so we decided to try it one more time last summer. This time we were more successful. This place is a part of a larger steelworks, which stopped production around 2009 or 2010 when the rest of the steelworks was shut down. It was built to replace the old power plant aka Wet Dogs. It ran on what I assume was a combination of natural gas, coke gas, and gas from blast furnaces. It has three plus one boilers - three older ones and one which was added later on. The site used to be secured with sensors, but now the sensors are missing in action. Even so, people have spotted the security driving around the site, so it's not completely free to roam. The highlight of this place was the turbine hall. I counted a total of 7 turbines, ranging in power and age. The oldest one was an Ingersoll-Rand turbine, then two small Oerlikons, what I believe were ACEC turbines, and one blue Escher Wyss + Oerlikon. The control room was very nice as well, though there was no light to work with. All in all very much worth the time.

Boilerhouse

On top of the boilerhouse

Turbine hall overlook

The old Ingersoll-Rand turbine

The tiny Oerlikon

The ACEC turbines

A side view

The big Escher Wyss + Oerlikon turbine - the most recent addition

Pipes in the turbine hall

The only place in the control room with natural light

The control room

Thanks for reading​

 

[host]

Epic report. Security Belgium wow that’s something new.

 

[aitakaitov]

Epic report. Security Belgium wow that’s something new.

I believe someone has destroyed the sensors - a least that's what my friend from Belgium told me. The security around Heavy Metal is quite tight as well - they patched up the holes and sometimes even walk inside the steelworks

 

[jtza]

Smashing stuff

 

[host]

I believe someone has destroyed the sensors - a least that's what my friend from Belgium told me. The security around Heavy Metal is quite tight as well - they patched up the holes and sometimes even walk inside the steelworks

That’s funny when we did it nothing at all at Heavy metal.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Cracking set. Lovely control room

 

[aitakaitov]

That’s funny when we did it nothing at all at Heavy metal.

There was a fire around June last year, so after that they made some effort to seal it tight, but we got in easily summer 2020, though we did see security on our way back and had to search for a hole for a while on our way in

 

[KPUrban_]

Very well photographed. Nice one.

 

[zombizza]

That place is a beauty. I really want to go back. It's a shame that there isn't much similar left in the UK now.

 

[Down and beyond]

Very nice lovely photos

 

[HughieD]

Belgium has so much to offer. They really are fantastic pics.