As Europe accelerates its transition to electric mobility, E.ON Power Plants Belgium and Imerys Graphite & Carbon (IGC) officially inaugurated a state-of-the-art Energy Recovery Plant at Imerys’ production site in Willebroek. The inauguration ceremony was honoured by the presence of Jean-Luc Crucke, Minister of Mobility, Climate and Ecological Transition, who attended the official opening of the plant. Built, owned, and operated by E.ON, the facility captures the energy content of industrial syngas — which contains high concentrations of hydrogen and carbon monoxide — and converts it into electricity via a high-efficiency steam turbine. With an installed power generation capacity of up to 29 MW, the plant supplies the entire Imerys site and feeds surplus power equivalent to the annual consumption of roughly 40,000 households into the Belgian public grid.
Imerys’ Willebroek site is the world’s leading production facility for high-purity carbon black. This conductive additive is a crucial component for lithium-ion batteries in cars and energy storage systems. Additionally, it serves as a core component in high-performance polymers for electric vehicles, power cables, and energy storage.
While the carbon black production process inherently generates syngas, E.ON’s new plant efficiently captures and valorises this energy stream, converting it into electricity through a high-efficiency steam turbine: a textbook example of industrial energy valorisation, delivering tangible benefits for the local community, and by generating power locally, which otherwise would have been produced by other sources.
The installation also includes an advanced flue gas treatment unit with DeNOx and DeSOx systems — the best available emissions control technology to reduce NOx (nitrogen oxide) and SOx (sulfur oxide) emissions in compliance with EU regulations — setting a new standard for air quality management at an industrial scale and further reinforcing Imerys’ commitment to its local environment and community.
- 29 MW installed electrical capacity — supplying the Imerys site and surplus electricity fed into the Belgian public grid, equivalent to the annual consumption of around 40,000 households
- 100% valorisation of syngas previously lost through flaring
- Advanced Air Quality Management: integrated DeNOx and DeSOx fluegas treatment, reducing local sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions
- A multi-year-long-term partnership between E.ON and Imerys
“This plant is a lighthouse project for Imerys Graphite & Carbon, as it represents a step change in our production process optimisation, maximising resource efficiency and minimizing our climate and emissions impact. Together with our valued partner E.ON, we developed this project over the last few years and have now successfully completed it. The mutual trust and respect between our two companies, coupled with sound professionalism, have led to this remarkable success, achieved by our passionate people,” Frank Wittchen Vice President & General Manager, Imerys Graphite & Carbon.
The project was announced in June 2023 when E.ON and Imerys signed a long-term partnership agreement. Construction began shortly thereafter on the Imerys site at Bedrijvenpark De Veert in Willebroek. The plant is now fully operational, and today’s ceremony marks the formal start of commercial operation.
The Energy Recovery Plant is built, owned, and operated by E.ON Power Plants Belgium, a subsidiary of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions. The electricity supply to Imerys is secured through a multi-year long-term agreement. E.ON Power Plants Belgium also operates comparable industrial energy installations at Oleon in Ertvelde, Promat (Etex Building Performance) in Tisselt, and Dow Benelux in Terneuzen.