Belgian-Dutch Partnership To Build Biocoal Pellet Plant

Thenergo, a clean energy company based in Antwerp, Belgium, has joined in a partnership with two Dutch companies, Eclair-E and Venture Kapitaalfonds III BV, to develop a new plant that will simultaneously produce biocoal pellets and electrical power. Biocoal is thermally processed wood debris, forest residue and chippings; the facility will obtain its materials from regionally sourced forest debris and pruned wood from public lands.

The new facility, which the company is calling an E-Park, will be located in the Dutch town of Coevorden, near the German border, and is designed to produce 75,000 tons of biocoal pellets annually while generating up to 42,800 MWh of electrical power. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2008, and the facility is expected to be fully operational within 18 months.

"The combination of biocoal and electricity production adds a critical energy layer to Thenergo's biomass business model," says Kurt Alen, chief executive officer for Thenergo. "The combination of biocoal and electricity production adds a critical energy layer to Thenergo's biomass business model. Our new partnership has ambitions to develop a number of sustainable energy projects both in the Netherlands and internationally."