In terms of urban exploitation, the Charleroi cooling tower is an icon. Although very public and closed to the public, this place is easily accessible, but for how much longer?
Urbex at the Charleroi Cooling Tower
Although we often mention the name of the city of Charleroi, it is necessary to find this cooling tower to target the nearby town of Monceau on Sambre. This 105 meters high chimney is only part of the old Electrabel thermal power station. It is easily identifiable from the road of Monceau on Sambre. Generally, it is easy to find because the place is between a lock and a football stadium. All urban explorers have recognized this place as being one of the most beautiful abandoned places in the world. It must be remembered the site is grandiose it is also believed in a colossal nave with an opening on the sky. This reinforced concrete tower was built in 1921, and the industrial site was permanently closed in 2007. For almost 90 years the Charleroi tower has cooled the coal-fired power plant located on the other side of the Sambre. This coal-fired power plant was responsible for about 10% of the country’s CO² emissions. That’s why the decision was made to close the production. At the same time, it is thought that Germany has decided to close its nuclear power plants to open coal-fired power stations. This is cold on the back.
The foundations of the Charleroi cooling tower
It is through this channel from which I took the picture, that passed the boiling water of the thermal power plant to then go up 90 degrees to the sky. It is not easy to reach this part of the tower, but it is not insurmountable. We are therefore in the lower part of this thermal cooler. This is the place where the boiling water arrived and then took the cooling circuit described below.
A cooling tower, how does it work?
To reduce the power station, there is no choice. The water from the river (the Sambre) was pumped to cool some parts of the plant most exposed to very high temperatures. Because without cooling, the various parts of the plant can be deformed or melt under the effect of heat. After cooling the thermal power station with the water of the river, boiling water was obtained. Water impossible to pour directly into nature. It is then that the cooling tower comes into action. The cooling circuit The hot water arrives in a first tank next to the tower.
This large concrete cube can store up to 25,000 litres of boiling water. Then this water is sent to the tower via a kind of vortex called vertical trumpet. The boiling water then empties into the concrete channels and then overflows into various metal bins. To finally refresh on the thousands of wooden batten on a height of nearly 20 meters high. These slats, which you saw the photo a little higher, aim to slow down the fall of water and promote the cooling of droplets in contact with the air.
Part of the water is cooled while the other part evaporates as water vapour.
The dangers of a cooling tower in working condition
It is strictly forbidden to visit a cooling tower in operation. Firstly, high water vapour and high temperatures will cause an increase in body temperature, with the impossibility of sweating. It is the osmosis, the risk of losing consciousness becomes very steep, and death follows in stride. For those who would be exposed in a short period, it is the risk of catching legionellosis that becomes the most worrying. Because when the tower is active, it is saturated with bacteria and amoebae. It’s cold in the back.
Did you say Urbex?
The golden rule in urban exploration is obviously to touch nothing and this to allow the following visitors to experience the same emotions. I find that the different tags and graffiti, degrade this industrial site that loses intensity. Thank you always for respecting the places you visit. And remember that you have to be especially careful because these places are not secure.
The interior of the Charleroi tower in pictures
The highlight of the abandoned cooling tower show
crédits photos: Yann Ve