Centrale Langerbrugge
THE ABANDONED POWER STATION IN BELGIUM
‘Centrale Langerbrugge’ owned by ‘Centrales Électriques des Flandres et du Brabant’ is an abandoned power station in Langerbrugge in the Gent harbor.
In 1911 Baron Floris Van Loo built the first power plant in Langerbrugge. The current station was designed in 1913 by architect Eugène Dhuicque. The immediate cause for this power station was the extension and development of the industrial area in the Gent harbor. The town of Langerbrugge is located on the western side of the canal Gent-Terneuzen.
The Dutch translation of the company is ‘Elektrische Centralen voor Vlaanderen en Brabant’ or ECVB. Eventually, in June 1914 the power plant went into service. During the years several new stations were built on this site. For example, in 1959 a new station was built that used coal, gas, and oil as fuel. During 1974 a steam turbine was built for the local paper factory.
Museum Energeia
In 1986, the Museum Energeia opened on the power plant site. The museum housed old steam engines and steam turbines, as well as documents and books from the period of 1900-1960. This museum was open to the public and proved to be quite popular. However, during the year 2000, Electrabel decided to close the museum.
Eventually, the production of Centrale Langerbrugge stopped in 2001, after a new power plant was built. The production of steam and water for heating the district was seen as outdated and more effective methods were implemented. A small part of this power station remains active, still giving everyday power to some surrounded industries. I took these photos of ‘Centrale Langerbrugge’ during my visit in 2010. The building is protected, but in 2015 the inside was cleaned, and the building is empty today. Follow this link for more abandoned power stations.
