Oude Verlaten Centrale Monceau (Power Plant IM), Charleroi, België, Beelden 16-11-2025 | Lost Place

In this video, I take you on a tour of the abandoned IM Power Plant (Centrale Monceau) in Monceau-sur-Sambre, Charleroi, Belgium. Seen on November 16, 2025, it's a haunting and impressive site filled with industrial decay and abandoned office spaces. 🏭 History & Background The plant was built in 1921 by the Intercom company, later acquired by Electrabel. Originally a coal-fired plant, it was expanded with gas-fired turbines in the 1960s and 1970s. In its heyday, the plant provided a significant portion of the energy for the Charleroi region. Due to environmental and emission concerns, the plant was shut down in 2007. After its closure, parts of the site were looted by metal thieves, but many of the original structures remain. History: The plant was built in 1921 by the Charbonnage de Monceau Fontaine and ran on coal. During the interwar period, an expansion brought the capacity to 27 MW, and around 1930, to 47 MW. The modern plant, fueled by pulverized coal, was selected in 1938-40 for engineer Albert De Smaele's experiments with burning schlamme (a moist waste product containing a considerable amount of inert ash). Its success led to the widespread adoption of this process in Belgium. In 1950, a new plant was commissioned adjacent to the old one. The factory buildings, designed by F. and L. Vandenbroucke, consisted of three brick volumes of decreasing height, with large glass windows. The cooling tower was located on the opposite bank of the Sambre (right bank). A nearly identical plant was built in 1953 in Marchienne-au-Pont at coal yard 19 (Saint-Martin), where the Charbonnage de Monceau Fontaine had also been generating electricity since 1912. Both sites were operated by Intercom (later incorporated into Electrabel). During a further expansion in 1964, the factory buildings at Monceau were more than doubled in size with a gray extension. In the 1970s, the plant was further expanded, allowing it to also run on natural gas. By 1977, it was the main power plant in the Charleroi region. Following a report that revealed the plant was responsible for 10% of Belgium's carbon dioxide emissions, Greenpeace protested against the plant. The plant, which at the time had a capacity of 92 MW, was closed in 2007. The 57-meter-high cooling tower is a striking landmark and is often visited by urban explorers. It served as a filming location during the filming of The Prime Minister. 🎥 In this video: Drone footage of the plant and the adjacent "office," both from the outside and partially from the inside. Video footage inside the plant, featuring old machinery, pipes, and industrial architecture seemingly frozen in time. Photos of the office, including abandoned desks, documents, and dusty workspaces, offer a glimpse into daily life in the past. An atmosphere of decay and abandonment, ideal for lovers of urbex and post-industrial locations. 0:00 Drone footage of the plant + "Office" 5:16 Photos of "Office" + the plant 8:36 Videos inside the plant 4K 60FPS.