Nexus Datacenter at Green energy park

To accelerate the energy transition, collaboration among various stakeholders is essential. The Nexus Data Center in Zellik is the first building completed as part of the Green Energy Park at the Research Park. In collaboration with VUB, UZB, and Ghelamco, the project brings knowledge, innovation, research, and practice closer together to work on the solutions of tomorrow. Ingenium played a crucial role in the development of the data center from the ground up.

Data Center

Client

Ghelamco

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Architect

Robust architecture

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Location

Green Energy Park Zellik

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Timing

2021- completed June 2024

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Budget

EUR 55 mio, excluding VAT

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Photos and images

Capture Photography
‍‍RobustArchitecture

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Epeil

E00

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Services

Preliminary design of building services & design competition

Management and control of implementation up to VOPL/DOPL

The Nexus Data Center at the Green Energy Park in Zellik combines powerful IT infrastructure with green energy, smart cooling, and the reuse of server heat. Ingenium oversaw the entire technical process, from preliminary design to completion and commissioning.

Green Energy Park

The Nexus Data Center at the Green Energy Park in Zellik is Belgium’s first fully sustainable data center. It combines 7.2 MW of IT power with an E-level rating of E00 and runs on 100% green energy, some of which is generated locally. Waste heat is recovered, rainwater is used for cooling, and the building is designed with circularity in mind.

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Ingenium handled the entire design, construction supervision, and commissioning of the technical systems. The project won the 2025 Datacloud Award for “Best Data Center Sustainability Project of the Year.”

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Economic and Environmental Role

Data centers combine two conflicting goals: on the one hand, maximum availability and operational reliability (Uptime Institute Tier III); on the other hand, the lowest possible energy consumption and ecological footprint.

The Green Energy Park in Zellik—a research hub run by VUB and UZ Brussel focused on energy transition, digitalization, and biotechnology—requested a data center that would combine both of these objectives and serve as a model for the industry.

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The data center is the greenest in Belgium and will supply heat to all buildings at the Research Park. This should make the entire site climate-neutral by 2030. The design therefore focuses on maximum energy efficiency: all energy used is renewable and is partially generated locally. Residual heat from the servers is reused, rainwater is used for cooling, and the building is constructed from circular materials. The south facade is entirely covered with solar panels, which cover approximately 5% of the data center’s electricity consumption.
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From Design to Commissioning

Ingenium was responsible for the entire technical process: from preliminary design through to completion and commissioning. During the design phase, we developed scenarios for energy generation, cooling, and heat recovery, always with the E00 target in mind. We integrated photovoltaic panels into the facade, a cascade system for HVAC with adiabatic cooling, and a rainwater basin in the basement. The residual heat from the servers is reused via a campus network, which substantially increases efficiency.

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BREEAM Excellent

During the project, we coordinated the work among the specialized contractors and ensured quality control and follow-up through the provisional and final acceptance phases. We also oversaw the commissioning of the supercomputer (1 MW) and the data center itself (7.2 MW of IT power). The project achieved triple certification: BREEAM Excellent, EDGE Advanced, and Uptime Institute Tier III.

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