On February 29, 2024, Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever pressed the symbolic start button to put the Antwerp North Heat Network into use. A pipeline route through the port of Antwerp links the Indaver Antwerp site with the Boortmalt malting plant. From now on, Boortmalt will exchange natural gas and combined heat and power (CHP) for residual heat from Indaver to produce malt. 

The connection point for a residential network to the social housing of Woonhaven Antwerp has also been established. This heating network means significant savings on fossil fuels and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. The project receives financial support from the Flemish government through the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency.

Second phase: residential network

Now that the industrial heating network has been completed, the way is clear for the disconnection of the residential network. This will be installed in the coming years by the grid company Fluvius and will allow the heat supply of schools, public buildings and 3,200 families in two neighborhoods in the north of Antwerp to be made more sustainable.

Reduction of CO2 emissions by 80,000 tons per year

The transition from fossil fuel to residual heat means a reduction in CO2 emissions for this network by 80,000 tons per year (when the full capacity of the heating network is used). This corresponds to the annual CO2 emissions of 25,000 Antwerp families.

Open access

What is special about this network is that it is the first 'open access' heating network in Belgium. Any company in the port that produces and/or wants to purchase heat can join. The pipeline network runs along the sites of the so-called 'Next-Gen District'. Port of Antwerp-Bruges will cluster companies that are active in the circular economy on this site. These companies can in turn supply or purchase additional residual heat from the network.

Collaboration with many partners

In order to provide climate-friendly heating to more than 3,200 social homes and to facilitate industrial heat consumers in their sustainability plans, collaboration with numerous partners was necessary. Indaver and Port of Antwerp-Bruges jointly built the first part of the route that now supplies heat to Boortmalt . Fluvius will build the second residential network from this industrial heating network on behalf of and in collaboration with the City of Antwerp . Agreements were concluded for this purpose with, among others, social housing company Woonhaven Antwerp. Finally, the Flemish government is an important partner due to the financial support the project received. The subsidy is part of the objective of boosting the disconnection of residual heat and the development of heating networks.

Moreover, this network is the first 'open access' heating network in Belgium, which offers opportunities for new suppliers and customers.

Source:Port of antwerp