Port of Antwerp-Bruges is installing a hydro turbine at the Kallo Lock, generating renewable electricity from the tidal water flows between the River Scheldt and the port’s docks. The project is a collaboration between Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Omexom and De Meyer, supported by the PIONEERS European-funded programme focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ports. The turbine functions on the same principle as an underwater wind turbine, converting the kinetic energy of water flowing through existing discharge channels during each high and low tide into electricity. With seven locks equipped with discharge channels across the Port of Antwerp, the project addresses a significant source of previously untapped hydropower. Tidal energy offers the additional advantage of predictability, as high and low tides can be forecast precisely, enabling exact calculation of expected electricity output. The energy generated will be used to operate the bridges and lock gates around the Kallo Lock and to provide heating and cooling for the lock building, with the hydro turbine expected to supply up to 75% of the electricity required for these functions. Omexom is connecting the turbine to the electricity grid, enabling surplus energy to be fed back rather than lost when immediate consumption is lower than generation. Port of Antwerp-Bruges project manager Matthias Lootens framed the installation as part of a broader search for smart ways to make port infrastructure more sustainable, and highlighted the potential for successful solutions developed at Antwerp to be replicated by other European ports through the PIONEERS network. Carl Bosteels, CEO of De Meyer, emphasised tidal energy’s reliability and the minimal equipment required to convert water movement into electricity as key advantages of the technology. The post Port of Antwerp-Bruges installs hydro turbine at Kallo Lock appeared first on Container News .