Belgium - China Economic and Trade Forum

09 / 10 / 2009

Eco-innovation in Belgium

Rudi Thomaes
CEO - Federation of Enterprises in Belgium
Make climate change a challenge

Global trends shaping the future

• Population growth
• Accelerating energy demand
• Resource scarcity
• Climate change

Immediate and sustained action by everyone is required

• Increase the efficiency of energy and resources use
• Need to conversion to renewables
• Need to develop next generation nuclear

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Mapping out Belgian eco-business
Princess Elisabeth Polar Station

Renewable Energy Air

energy efficiency

Water Soil Recycling

& waste
Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Renewable energy

Wind energy
Bio energy

Solar energy
Renewable energy: Wind energy
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Belgian offshore Wind Farm

The furthest out the sea

First wind farm in the world installed at a

distance of nearly 30 km offshore, at 27 m
water depth.
Total planned capacity:
1,000 GWh/year = 600,000 inhabitants
CO2 emission reduction of 450,000 tons/year
Design:
IMDC and Technum (Tractebel Engineering)
Maritime works:
DEME group – www.deme.be
www.c-power.be
Renewable energy: Solar energy
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Photovoltaic cells & panels

IMEC Leuven
- Europe’s leading micro-electronics research
center (1.600 people, 40 nationalities)
- Nano-technology and photovoltaics
Photovoltech (Suez/Total)
very fast growing solar panel producer
Eternit
integrated solar panel in slates
Umicore
world leader in germanium semi-conductor
wafers for high-end (space) solar cells
(in Mars Rovers)
Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Renewable energy: Bio energy
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Our innovating companies

Biodiesel
Oléon, Neochim, Bioro-Biofuel, Alco Bio Fuel
Biofuel installations
De Smet Engineers & Contractors, Cegelec,
Fabricom, DeSmet- Ballestra
Energy from wood
Recybois, Xylowatt, Vyncke, TPF-Basse Sambre,
Keppel-Seghers, Fabricom, Siemens
Engineering
BNS Engineering, Axima Services (Suez), CMI

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Energy efficiency

Consumption

Production

Construction

McKinsey: energy saving potential for

Belgium: 29 % by 2030

www.energyefficiency.be
 Energy efficiency - Construction
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Bekaert: market leader glass films

Bekaert is market leader and

global supplier of glass films
applied to windows in buildings
and cars.
Glass films provide protection
from solar heat, filter out UV light
and hold the glass in place if
broken.

www.bekaert.com
Energy efficiency - Consumption
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

ETAP Lighting
Energy savings on lighting up to 75%

Optimise light quality at the workplace

Taking new direction in advanced software
Energy Light Manager (ELM) is the trendsetter in
control systems that can lead to massive energy
savings on lighting
Use of highly reflective aluminium
www.etaplighting.com

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Energy efficiency - Production
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

More efficient energy production

Tractebel Engineering
Most advanced energy solutions
Specialises in those sectors where
sustainable development plays a key role,
including energy
www.tractebel-engineering.com
SCK.CEN
Services in the field of nuclear applications
 Air

Zero emission technology

Catalytic converter technology

Air
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Zero-emission hybrid bus: world first

Belgian bus maker Van Hool with six partners.

First passenger transport vehicle with a hybrid drive system.
An engine containing a fuel cell for converting hydrogen
intro electricity, plus batteries that are charged via
braking energy.
Belgian SolviCore supplied Van Hool with
the fuel cell, thanks to the expertise of its
two Belgian parent companies (Solvay & Umicore)
www.vanhool.be
Air
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Umicore: world leader catalytic converter technology

One of every three passenger cars in the world has a

catalytic converter produced by Umicore.
The catalytic converter helps dramatically reduce emissions
from vehicles using precious metals chemistry (platinum,
rhodium en palladium).
Umicore is expanding in the global market in catalytic
converters for trucks and non-road applications.
www.umicore.com
Water

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
 Water
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Realco: ecological cleaning without detergents

Conventional (chemical) cleaning products clean, but

have a negative impact on wastewater quality.
Green (biological) cleaning products use enzymes to
clean without affecting the quality of the wastewater.
Realco markets cleaning products that clean while also
improving water quality!
• Enzymes in the products clean biologically by breaking down
organic matter (such as fats) into soluble compounds.
• These products also contain microorganisms that purify
wastewater by further breaking down soluble compounds
in the water into natural base elements (water, oxygen, etc.).
www.realco.be

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Soil

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
 Soil
Innovating Companies Example Knowledge centers

Deep Green: unique in-situ thermal treatment

Revolutionary approach to thermal cleaning for soil

Deep Green specialises in using thermal desorption

to treat polluted soil.
Deep Green's Thermopile (R) technology is the only
thermal technology available for in-situ treatment.
Excavation no longer needed
Especially important in urban areas
Positive impact on the environment and energy
Technology designed for optimum use and
www.deep-green.com
re-use of energy

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Extracting economic value from waste

Energy from waste

Recycling

Waste treatment

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Recycling
Innovating Companies Example

De Saedeleir: from cradle to cradle

Belgian textile company De Saedeleir “green” leader

Biodegradable carpets and floor coverings
Producer of polyester fibres based on recycled PET bottles.
Trendsetter in biodegradable anti-weed coverings and carpets.
• Raw materials are compostable
'bioplastics' made from starch
and sugars.
• Result: 80% less CO2 emission

www.dstextileplatform.com

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
 Waste treatment
Innovating Companies Example

FOST Plus - VAL-I-PAC - Recupel :

correct sorting = better recycling

Selective collection, sorting and recycling of specific waste flows

Promotion, coordination and financial support by:
FOST Plus for domestic packaging waste
Belgium = highest household packaging recycling waste in the EU
VAL –I-PAC for industrial packaging waste
Recupel for end-of-life electrical and electronic equipments

www.fostplus.be www.valipac.be www.recupel.be

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Energy from waste
Innovating Companies Example

TPF: recovers energy from waste

TPF Basse-Sambre, subsidiary

of Belgian consultancy group TPF
Solid waste and ores converted
into electrical energy using pyrolisis
(high-temperature combustion)
• e.g. biogas power station: recover
biogas by covering a landfill
• e.g. exploit solutions for specific
www.tpfgroup.com organic waste flows (e.g. olive stones)

Eco-innovation
in Belgium
Mapping out Belgian eco-business

Princess Elisabeth Polar Station

First zero emission research station
Overall example

Princess Elisabeth Polar Station

First zero emission research station

Evidence of Belgium’s sweeping environmental ambitions.

Only zero-emission polar base (Open: February 2009)
The station’s ecological footprint in Antarctica is reduced to a
minimum as a result of international and Belgian know-how.
BESIX, Belgium’s largest construction firm, coordinates the works
World first: combination of
environmentally friendly materials
clean efficient energy use
best waste management technologies
www.antarcticstation.org
Eco-innovation
in Belgium