Centrale de Deux-Acren
THE ABANDONED POWER PLANT IN BELGIUM
‘Centrale de Deux-Acren’ was a kerosene powered turbojet power plant in the small Belgian village. Its iconic Art Deco control room was taken down in 2019.
Over the years, this station housed three power plants and a 60-meter chimney. The Deux-Acren station was in fact an emergency power generator. The power station was engineered to handle consumption peaks or serve as a backup in case of a failure at another plant. Electricity is generated by a jet engine capable of reaching full speed in under two minutes. Notably, this engine was fueled by naphtha. The reactor initiates with the help of a compressed air tank, enabling quick remote start-up without any additional energy sources. Electrabel was the final owner of the power station.
Control room
The building’s exterior is red brick, featuring a subtle Art Deco style showcased by the distinctive arched windows. On my visit, the old engines and turbines had been removed, leaving behind a vast empty hall dominated by a strikingly historical Art Deco control room.
The centrale building was sold by Electrabel in 2007. The site changed hands once more in 2018, and by the year’s end, the control room had been cleared of its levers and dials. The photographs of ‘Centrale de Deux-Acren’ were captured over the course of two visits in 2018.
More abandoned power stations can be found here.
