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Brussels, 29 February 2008
Trackside wind farm on the Leuven-Liège high speed line:
Infrabel set to run trains on wind power from 2010
The "Wind Train" project: wind turbines to power the rail network
At an Infrabel board meeting on Thursday 28 February, Belgium's railway infrastructure manager gave
the green light to its participation in the "Wind Train" project which involves the installation of a wind
farm to power the High Speed Line between Leuven and Liège (Ans). Even though rail is already the
most environment-friendly mode of transport, Infrabel is set to increase the energy efficiency of rail
transport even further with this project which is being undertaken in collaboration with Electrabel (Suez
Group) and the local authorities concerned. The energy produced by the wind farm will be fed directly
into the rail network and, besides the High Speed Line between Leuven and Liège, will power Line 36
between Tirlemont and Voroux as well as Line 21 between Landen and Hasselt.
The wind farm, consisting of 20 wind turbines with a unit capacity of 2 to 2.5 megawatts, will be sited
alongside the E40 motorway and the high speed Line at Landen, Gingelom and Hannut. This
environment-friendly energy source will generate an average of around 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity a
year. Under the most favourable conditions (sufficient wind and moderate consumption on the rail
network) trains travelling in this part of the network - including the TGV - will receive their entire energy
supply from the wind farm and will thus be effectively powered by the force of the wind.
On average, one third of the wind farm's output will be used to power the Belgian rail network directly, the
rest (two thirds) will be sent to the national grid. The rail network will of course continue to receive
adequate power supplies at all times, even when the output from the wind farm is limited, by continuous
and automatic rebalancing with the "conventional" electricity transmission network.
Electrical connection of the wind farm via Infrabel's rail infrastructure
The wind farm will be connected to the electrical network via Infrabel's traction substation at Avernas
(a traction substation is an element of the rail infrastructure that steps down the voltage from the HV grid
to a suitable level to power the track catenaries). This infrastructure, for which an extension scheme is
already in the pipeline, is to receive a €3.7 million face-lift paid for by Infrabel.
The wind farm development will be financed by a consortium made up of Electrabel, Infrabel and the six
local authorities concerned (Hannut, Saint-Trond, Gingelom, Hélécine, Landen and Lincent), for a total
budget of around €65 million.
Subject to the necessary planning consents, installation work on the wind turbines could begin as early as
2009, with phased commissioning from 2010.
Wind turbines to boost the energy efficiency of rail even further
Spokesperson Infrabel: Frédéric Petit
Tel.: + 32 (0)2 526 37 52 / Gsm: +32 (0)476 550 942
Mail: frederic.petit@infrabel.be / www.infrabel.be
Address: Rue Bara, 110 – 1070 Brussels
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Through its involvement in this project, Infrabel affirms its social commitment, its openness to the future,
and its support for Belgium's efforts to achieve the Kyoto targets for emissions reduction ("3 x 20" target
for 2020). This collaborative project between Infrabel, Electrabel and local authorities will thus be another
feather in the cap for the Belgian railways in terms of energy efficiency and sustainable development.
To give an example, using the energy generated by this new wind farm will save 60,000 tonnes of CO2
emissions (source: Electrabel) which represents a reduction of around 10% of the total CO 2 emitted by rail
transport (passenger and freight) in 2007.
Apart from the evident and fundamental benefits which this project promises to deliver in environmental
terms, the wind farm will also promote more rational use of public funds. For example, the electricity will
cost around 30% less than the current market price (notably given the absence of transport costs).
Infrabel will pass on this financial benefit to the various operators running on this part of the network.
Also, future tariff increases for this energy will be limited because they will be independent of changes in
raw materials prices.
This project is the latest in a series of actions undertaken by Infrabel demonstrating its commitment to
sustainable development and respect for the environment. Although some of these actions may be seen
as relatively modest in scope, every single one counts as a positive contribution to the well-being and
future of every citizen.
Infrabel is a limited liability company of public law, responsible for the management, maintenance, renewal and development of the Belgian railway
network. The company is also in charge of the allocation of the licences and slots to all Belgian and foreign operators. The specific structure of the
Infrabel shareholders guarantees a total independence. Infrabel was established on 1 January 2005, at the splitting up of the Belgian Railways, and is
part of the SNCB Group. The company now employs some 14,000 people and achieves a turnover of about 1,1 billion euro (2006).
Spokesperson Infrabel: Frédéric Petit
Tel.: + 32 (0)2 526 37 52 / Gsm: +32 (0)476 550 942
Mail: frederic.petit@infrabel.be / www.infrabel.be
Address: Rue Bara, 110 – 1070 Brussels
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