Today we’re exploring an epic cooling tower.
...a huge and really impressive place.
It is part of an abandoned coal power station in a Belgian town full of industrial ruins.
Unfortunately the access door was locked by the time we visited this site.
So we had to use the daredevil entrance...
...and climbed our way in.
Not only the imposing size left a lasting impression...
...but also the acoustics in the inside.
It felt like every sound was reflected a hundredfold.
The power plant was originally built in 1921...
...and it was one of the largest coal-fueled power stations in Belgium.
By 1977 this place with its massive cooling tower was the main source of energy in the area.
It is said that this site was able to cool down 480.000 gallons of water.
...per minute.
I just measured this place.
Well, I think the scope is around...
The scope is around 120 meters. I just ran a round in here.
And then I've measured...
And then I've measured the diameter too.
What's the diameter? - It's about 30 to 40 meters.
Difficult conditions here...
When you keep an eye out for the details in here you can still get a good idea of how this cooling tower must have worked.
The hot water from the plant would come up through this large structure in the middle.
Back then there wasn’t any grid on the hole.
Then the water was fed out into the many channels around the tower.
...where it then trickled down over several wooden slats.
While dripping down the hot water was cooled by the wind that swept in from portals in the base of the tower.
...releasing billowing columns of hot air.
The cold water was collected in a basin under the tower and then pumped back to the power station.
Since a lot of cooling water is needed cooling towers are mostly built near a river or the sea.
After many years of service a report found that the power plant was responsible for about 10% of the total CO2 emissions in Belgium.
Due to this, protests from Greenpeace in 2006 gave the power plant a lot of negative attention.
So it closed one year later in 2007.
The power plant itself is in demolition right now. And the cooling tower...
Well, it is said that it is scheduled for demolition too.
So as long as this site is still there a visit is highly recommended.
In the next episodes we’re going to explore several residential houses in Luxembourg.
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See you next time!