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After completing intensive preliminary research, Storm submits its first permit application for a wind farm in Flanders in June 2009. A turnkey moment for Storm and the first of many projects to follow.

From 2009 onwards, Storm can rely on the support of the Flemish investment company PMV.

Storm starts to submit more and more permit applications. High time to expand. In January 2010, the first wave of new colleagues comes in. In October 2010, Storm receives its first building permit, allowing construction to begin on Windfarm Wachtebeke.

During the winter of 2011, Storm gets started on its very first wind farm in Wachtebeke. It takes one year to complete the project from the ground up.

At the time, renewable energy accounted for a modest 5% of the Flemish energy market. Today, that share has more than doubled to over 10%.

In november 2012, the first Storm wind farm in Wachtebeke is commissioned. It marks the official start of renewable energy generation by Storm. The two wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.5 MW, generate enough electricity annually to power approximately 3,700 households.

Storm considers open communication and local participation during the construction of wind farms of utmost importance. In 2013, local residents get the opportunity to participate for the first time through the Storm CV co-op. All in all, 506 local residents invest in windfarms Wachtebeke and Wielsbeke, the first Storm wind farms.

The collaboration with IKA and Zefier, representing 216 Flemish municipalities, is also being launched thanks to investments in the wind farms of Geel and Wachtebeke.

In 2013, investment companies TINC and Clean Energy Invest join Storm as partners.

Following Wachtebeke, the wind farms in Wielsbeke, Westerlo and Maasmechelen are now operational. The total installed capacity reaches 20 MW. Storm now supplies nearly 14,000 households with renewable energy.

Storm makes major strides in 2015. This year alone, the company commissions wind farms in Genk, Meer, Dilsen-Stokkem and Geel. The wind farm in Meer, then the tallest in Belgium, is officially inaugurated by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Flemish Government, Annemie Turtelboom.

That same year, Storm CV distributes its first dividend to its cooperative members. 1,037 members receive a return of 5% on their investment, a stable dividend rate that is set to remain consistent over the years.

With Black Swan joining in, Storm can count on an additional investment partner from 2015 onwards.

In the Port of Ghent, ground is broken for the first construction phase of the wind farm on the premises of ArcelorMittal. A new wind farm in Desselgem also becomes operational in 2016.

Each new project brings with it a fresh crop of co-op members. By 2016, Storm CV counts more than 1,500 co-op members among its ranks, investing in the future of renewable energy together.

The Haven Gent wind farm on the ArcelorMittal premises, with its 11 wind turbines, is the largest and most impressive Storm project to date. Building this wind farm takes place in three phases. The first phase is officially inaugurated in 2017, in the presence of Flemish ministers Joke Schauvliege and Bart Tommelein.

That same year, a new Storm wind farm becomes operational in Lokeren, equipped with four wind turbines.

In March of 2018, Storm widens its scope by submitting the first permit applications for wind farms in Wallonia.

Meanwhile, the company continues to grow in Flanders, with the official openings of the Minderhout and Zandvliet wind farms.

A year after submitting the application, Storm is granted the permit for its first wind farm in Courrière Wallonia. Preparations for financing and construction can now kick off.

At the same time, Storm continues to expand in Flanders. In 2019, three wind turbines in Melsele become operational, and the second phase of the Port of Ghent wind farm begins.

Despite the COVID outbreak, work at the new construction sites in Retie and Pelt continues in full swing.
The annual general meeting of Storm CV shareholders is hosted digitally this year, out of necessity.

With the commissioning of wind farms in Pelt, Retie and Meer Zuid, Storm CV continues its growth streak. The wind turbines in Pelt and Retie are officially opened by Flemish minister Zuhal Demir.

More than 3,000 local residents now invest in Storm wind projects, a clear vote of confidence for these sustainable energy solutions.

In 2022, Storm commissions a record number of wind turbines. Flemish Minister Matthias Diependaele inaugurates the third phase of Belgium's first subsidy-free wind farm in the Port of Ghent. New wind farms in Berlare, Zoersel, Geraardsbergen and with Honda in Ghent up the total number to 52 turbines, enough to power 120,000 households.

Starting in 2022, Storm ventures beyond wind energy. By obtaining the first permits for battery projects in Ruien and Genk, the company expands its range of sustainable energy solutions for the first time.

In 2023, Storm replaces its first wind turbines in Wachtebeke with new, powerful models. This project marks the first repowering initiative by Storm. The old turbines are dismantled and sold, finding new footing in Ukraine, where they will continue to play an important role in the energy transition for years to come.

More cause for celebration in Wallonia: the first Storm wind farm across the language border is commissioned. The three wind turbines in Courrière generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 7,200 households.

Storm further widens its horizons by launching the debut network of full-service fast-charging stations in Belgium, in partnership with Q8. Full speed ahead: the first four fast-charging stations in Waasmunster, Aalter, Beringen and Kampenhout open in the summer of 2024. The start of a new era charged with renewable energy.