Kortrijk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Kortrijk’s new neighbourhood will use geothermal and Lei River aquathermal energy for heating and cooling, the first large-scale project in Belgium aiming to reduce fossil fuel dependence.
As VRT News reported, Kortrijk’s new neighbourhood, called Kaai City, includes 107 apartments, 202 student rooms, a Howest school building, and 10 shops, which will be heated and cooled without using gas or regular electricity. Instead, the system will use geothermal energy and water from the Lei River.
How will Kaai city in Kortrijk use aquathermy and geothermal energy?
Kaai City will also use aquathermy, a technology that takes heat from river water to warm buildings in winter and cool them in summer. This is the first time it has been applied on a large scale in Belgium. Authorities say the system will cut energy use and reduce carbon emissions.
“As soon as there’s a temperature difference with the water, you can essentially apply the logic of a heat pump,”
explains Alderman Maxim Ves (Vooruit).
“In this project, this is happening on a large scale. We’re drawing water from the Lei River, and because this river has a large flow rate, we can use it to cool and heat the entire neighbourhood.”
Officials mentioned that geothermal energy takes heat from the ground and is already common in Belgium. Using it alone can lower the soil’s temperature over time.
“It’s important that we have more energy locally,”
says Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit).
”We already get energy from wind and sun, and now also from water. That’s truly the future, because gas makes us dependent on figures like Putin and Trump. We have to get rid of them, because they make gas much more expensive with the push of a button.”
The project is a collaboration between Artes, Van Marcke, and the city of Kortrijk.
“We want to become fossil-fuel independent, so we have to find solutions,”
says Caroline Van Marcke.
“And this is a promising technology for the future, because there are many waterways in Belgium.”
“We are currently using 2% of Leie’s potential. So there are still many possibilities for the future. As the minister already said, we don’t have our own oil or gas. If we can use our own rivers, that’s a boost for the future.
We sometimes call the Leie the Golden River because it has always brought prosperity to the city throughout history, but now it’s also becoming a bit like the Green River,”
the alderman laughs.
Van Marcke notes a possible cost issue with the water collection fee, which is a contribution to the Flemish government for drawing water from navigable waterways. Aquathermy avoids this fee because it only uses the heat or cold from the river without changing its flow.
“Only if that fee were eliminated would it become truly economically feasible to heat or cool new neighbourhoods this way.”
The Kaai City project in Kortrijk is part of the city’s plan to create sustainable neighbourhoods. Planning began in early 2023, focusing on energy-efficient buildings and eco-friendly spaces. Construction started in spring 2024.
