Within the framework of the 'Over de Ring' project - the study of the livability and roofing of the Antwerp Ring - the City of Antwerp also commissioned a 'water & energy' study. Ingenium was responsible for the heat networks section.
A global concept for water and energy - under and along the Ring Zone - was needed to better align the current and future water and energy management in Antwerp. This ring zone can serve as a carrier of opportunities and a backbone for the entire city. For the various projects within the framework of the Oosterweel connection and the adjustments to the Ring Road, the study wanted to develop prescriptions for water and energy. This also had to ensure the continuity of the strategies, both spatially and temporally. Arcadis was responsible for the study of the water and energy themes, while we were able to draw on our years of expertise in connection with heat networks.
A first question was what role the Ring can play in the heat story, with "backbones" that can carry heat from industry north, west and south to the city. We looked at the possibilities of connecting those grids and connecting buildings. We also mapped the locations where the greatest heat demand is in the city and along those pathways.
We gave the stakeholders general ideas about what a heat grid looks like and how it can grow. For the latter, we used the "heat island strategy": start with mini-heat grids with temporary heat production, which can later be linked together to form one large heat grid.
Additional questions included what role the Scheldt plays and whether or not the heat network should cross it, and at what places in the route other watercourses (such as the Albert Canal), metro routes or large gas or electric lines should be taken into account.
After this analysis, we developed a toolbox for the designers of the 7 ring parks with the spatial elements that make up a heat grid. With a technical sheet for each element, they were able to get a good idea of what the heat grid and reservation strips would look like. On the basis of the design sketches they then produced, we looked in detail at how the heat network should be incorporated into each ring park, which buildings could be connected and which bottlenecks needed to be resolved. This first phase - the overall system vision, toolbox and sketch designs - was completed in February 2020.
After an urban development vision was developed for each of the 7 ring parks and subprojects were selected, all design teams were assigned a new ring park where they could follow the process up to and including implementation. Today - 2 years later - the preliminary design is ready for all zones. We worked intensively with all design teams in various sessions in order to guarantee the reservation strip for the heat network in the design of their specific project, and to take into account the possible arrival of a heat network at all levels. Meanwhile, the City of Antwerp developed a global vision for the heat network. It followed our advice to first use the zones near the Scheldt from north to south as the backbone, and only much later to include the Ring as a possible extension.
In 2020-2021 we made a feasibility study for the City of Antwerp (energy and environment department) of a heat plant and heat buffer in the historical SAMGA buildings at the Noordkasteel. At the end of 2021, we received a new assignment from the City, this time to investigate where new sustainable heat plants could be built in the city. These should serve to meet the peaks in heat demand. After all, residual heat from industry and incinerators will not be enough to cover the entire heat demand at those times. The additional heat plants can also take over heat production when maintenance or expansion work is needed on (parts of) the central heat network.
The 'Over de ring' project is part of 'De Grote Verbinding', the future project through which Antwerp and Flanders are building a city where it is good to live, work, do business and visit. The book 'Over de ring - 5 jaar Toekomstverbond' - makes an interim state of affairs and can be read in full via this link. The 'water & energy' study is covered from page 208 to page 219.
This is the first time that the City of Antwerp has developed a global vision for the construction and expansion of a heat network around the city. We are also currently working on a feasibility study for a heat network in the city center of Bruges. And the City of Mechelen / Mechelen Klimaatneutraal also asked us to investigate the possibilities for a heat network in the districts of Mechelen-North, Ragheno and the Mechelen Vesten.
Want to know more about the 'water & energy' study in Antwerp and/or the possible applications for other cities and towns? Then contact Joris Dedecker at 050 40 45 30 or joris.dedecker@ingenium.be.
