The Spanish firm has been chosen by Belgian Eco Energy, a sustainable energy producer in Belgium, to build the world’s largest new commercial biomass facility for electricity generation. It will be located in Ghent, Belgium and have installed capacity of 215 megawatts (MW).

Abengoa is responsible for carrying out the engineering, design and construction for what will be Europe’s largest biomass power plant and one of the biggest in the world. Located in Ghent, Belgium, the fuel for the facility will be 100% biomass. Specifically, it will burn wood chips and crop waste.

Because it will not rely at all on fossil fuels, this facility will generate 215 MW of clean energy without producing any carbon dioxide. The electricity produced will be supplied to industrial customers. In addition, thanks to a system called district heating, the plant will also provide about 100 MW of thermal energy in order to help satisfy the heating needs of industry and households in the town of Ghent.

With this new plant, Abengoa will bring Belgium closer to complying with the environmental goals established by the European Union.

It’s estimated that the project will create up to 1,100 jobs during its construction. The cost of the plant will be over €315 million.

Abengoa has built biomass plants across Europe, Latin America and the United States. These facilities represent a response to demands for environmental responsibility and energy efficiency. They also provide large economic and social benefits to the communities where they are located.