Essent plans to build CCGT power plant in Genk

Antwerp/Genk, 13 November 2008 – Essent Belgium has definite plans to build a CCGT power plant in Genk-Zuid. The power plant will further strengthen Essent's production capacity in Belgium and have a favourable effect on employment in the region.

New investment in local production capacity strengthens Essent's presence on the Belgian market

Essent is buying a 3.5 hectare site which currently belongs to the timber company Norbord. The borough of Genk will have to give its consent to this purchase. Essent wants to build a CCGT power plant on this site. CCGT stands for Combined Cycle Gas Turbine, in other words a gas-fired power plant of the latest generation which is far more efficient than traditional power plants. The new power plant will provide for a production of 400 MW and employment of 35 FTEs.

North-West Europe is struggling with an antiquated generation system and a growing demand for electricity. This is leading to dwindling reserves for absorbing peaks in consumption and therefore to an increasing need to build new units. The Belgian market in particular is typified by a shortage of production capacity in combination with a limited import capacity. Essent's new CCGT power plant will make a positive contribution to solving these problems.

Today the mayor and aldermen approved the sale of land to Essent. This agreement will be further discussed on 20 November at the next council meeting.

If the town council also agrees to the sale, the research stage of the project can begin. Application for the necessary permits (including the environmental effect report) is the first step in this.

Essent and the various authorities and residents of Genk all hope that events leading up to the building of the power plant will run in an open and constructive manner.

About Essent Belgium
Since towards the end of 2001, Essent Belgium (www.essent.be), has been active on the Belgian energy market as an officially authorised supplier of electricity and natural gas in the three Belgian regions (Flanders, the Walloon provinces and Brussels), with a turnover of 253 million euros in 2007 and 130 employees.

About the Essent Group
With an annual turnover of 7.4 million euros in 2007, Essent is the largest energy company in the Netherlands. Essent supplies electricity, gas and heating to domestic and business customers. Essent is active throughout the entire energy chain, from the production of energy up to and including supply to end users. The corporation regards The Netherlands as its home market, but has now also built up a considerable market position in Germany and is increasingly active in Belgium. The concern's environmental branch processes waste into energy and residual currents. Essent employs around 11,000 people. Since the introduction of its product Green Electricity in 1995, Essent has developed into the biggest producer of sustainable energy in the Benelux countries. Essent uses two main sources for this: biomass and wind. Further information: www.essent.nl.