Amercentrale

Electricity and heat

Coal and gas have long been the main fuels for the Amer power plant in Geertruidenberg. The current power plant, unit 9, has been in operation since 1993 and produces electricity and heat. First with coal, which was completely replaced by sustainable biomass as of 2025.

The unit has enough power to produce electricity for about 800,000 households. Heat produced in the same unit is used in the Plukmadesepolder in Drimmelen to heat greenhouses and in Geertruidenberg and neighborhoods of Breda and Tilburg for district heating. Since May 2018, the Amer power plant also has an extensive solar park.

From coal to biomass

A variety of biomass types have been tested and used at the Amer power plant since the 1990s. Back then in both units 8 and 9. At the end of 2020, an entirely new biomass plant was commissioned. This made it possible to run the power plant entirely on biomass.

By-products

The combustion process in the boiler produces ash particles that collect at the bottom of the boiler. This is the byproduct bottom ash.

The lighter particles of ash heading toward the chimney are electrostatically trapped and collected so that they do not become airborne. This byproduct is called fly ash. Both bottom ash and fly ash are used as filler in useful applications in the construction industry, among others.

The flue gases from the power plant are further cleaned by removing nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide from them, thus minimising emissions to the air.

The power plant thus produces electricity and heat using biomass fuel, with bottom ash and fly ash as by-products.