# Cooling Tower & Gas Holder, Power Plant IM, Charelroi, Belgium, November 2019



## HughieD (Nov 17, 2019)

*1. The History*
Power Plant IM was originally built in 1921 in the Monceau-sur-Sambre neighbourhood of Charleroi. After its completion it was one of the largest coal burning power plants in Belgium. Water was let into the cooling tower where it would be cooled by the wind that swept in from portals in the base of the tower, releasing billowing columns of hot air. By 1977 the power plant and its massive tower was the main source of energy for the Charleroi area and is said to have been able to cool 480,000 gallons of water per minute. 

By the 1970s new components were even added to the power-plant that could also use gas power. However, the power-plant’s days were numbered. After years of service, a report found that Power Plant IM was responsible for around 10% of the total CO2 emissions in Belgium. Due to this, protests from Greenpeace in 2006 gave the power plant major negative attention and it closed a year later in 2007. After it was closed down, there were reports of looting by metal scrappers. The power plant still lies abandoned, and is said to be scheduled for demolition, but until that time it continues to stand as a popular location for urban explorers.

*2. The Explore*
This place needs no introduction and is possibly one of the most photographed places on the urbex circuit. It lies to the south-west of Charleroi down a long pot-holed road, on the opposite bank of the River Sambe to the powerplant itself. Last time I came here on a pretty tight schedule I parked up and walked down to the cooling tower and wandered on to the site. Sadly, though, the magic door was heavily locked. Game over. All was not lost, however, as the base of the cooling tower was accessible and I managed to get some reasonably impressive, if not definitive, shots from there. Fast-forward 18 months and I’m in Charleroi with a car on my own. Hence it was time to have another crack at it. Recent reports indicated it may be open again. So approached the magic door with trepidation and excitement. Much to my joy it had no lock on it and it was a very easy in and into this dystopian and beautiful former cooling tower. After spending half-an-hour in there popped over to the gas storage tower. Went up the steps so far but bottled going to the top.

*3. The Pictures*

Hello again old friend:


img3996 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img3997 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the steps up:


img4040 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4039 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And on to the magic door:


img3998 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And we’re in. Wow!


IM 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr


IM 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr


IM 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr


IM 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4013 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4018 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4024 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Like some type of dystopian garden centre:


img4030 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4035 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And wall-to-wall concrete:


img4025 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Glad to be up here than down there this time:


img4004 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Meanwhile, underneath:


IM 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4044bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

At the bottom looking up:


img6764 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6759 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6757bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

Over the river, the power station itself:


img4038 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And then on to the gas storage tower:


img4054 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4046 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4048 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4050 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Dystopian:

img4049 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Up we go:

img4051 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img4052 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## Sam Haltin (Nov 17, 2019)

Cooling towers are very photogenic, doesn't matter what time of day it is or where the sun is shining you still get a good photo. If they had demolished that cooling tower you would have nothing to shoot at.


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## King Al (Nov 26, 2019)

Great pics Hughie, fantastic place this!


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## zombizza (Nov 27, 2019)

Lovely.
A beautiful spot.
Did you go over to the powerplant?
I wasn't expecting much there but was pleasantly surprised once we got going


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## pinkandfluffy (Nov 30, 2019)

looks like where they filmed the walking dead where negan lived lol good photography btw


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## HughieD (Nov 30, 2019)

zombizza said:


> Lovely.
> A beautiful spot.
> Did you go over to the powerplant?
> I wasn't expecting much there but was pleasantly surprised once we got going



Cheers man. Nah, was too much activity around the powerplant itself so didn't go there...


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