The power station IM, which is also known as Monceau Central Thermique, was built in Monceau-Sur-Sambre near Charleroi, in 1921 by the “Charbonnage de Monceau Fontaine”.  Le “Charbonage de Monceau, was the largest mining company in Charelroi and its origins can be traced back to 1804, when Charles-Alexandre de Gavre, the former lord of Monceau, founded the “Société de Monceau-Fontaine” with 5 associates. After two expansions in the interwar period it became one of the largest coal-burning power plants in Belgium, with a capacity of about 47 MW.

In 1950 a new power station was put into operation next to the old one. The factory buildings, designed by F. and L. Vandenbroucke, consisted of three brick volumes of decreasing height, with large glazed areas. The cooling tower was located on the other side of the Sambre (right bank). An almost identical power station was built in 1953 in Marchienne-au-Pont at coal seat 19 (Saint-Martin), where the Charbonnage de Monceau Fontaine also produced electricity since 1912. Both sites were operated by Intercom which later merged into Electrabel. With a new extension in 1964, the factory buildings in Monceau were more than doubled by a gray extension. In the 1970s, the power station was further expanded so that it could also run on natural gas. By 1977 the plant was the main power station in the Charleroi region.

After a report showing that the plant was responsible for 10% of Belgium’s carbon dioxide emissions, Greenpeace protested against the plant. The plant, which had a capacity of 92 MW at the time, was closed in 2007.