On 11 December 2015 "Het Muydenhof", the new sheltered housing facility for the CPAS in Schelle in the province of Antwerp, was inaugurated in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Employment, the Economy and Consumers, Kris Peeters, and representatives of the European Investment Bank and Belfius. The construction of this 'near-zero energy' sheltered housing facility is clearly in keeping with the targets set by Schelle in the areas of energy efficiency and sustainable development. It therefore fully met the criteria of the 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' programme launched last year as the first of its kind in Europe by Belfius Bank and the European Investment Bank (EIB). This smart and sustainable sheltered housing facility is one of the first projects in Belgium to be completed thanks to this unique financing programme.
Soon after the launch of the 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' programme by Belfius and the EIB, the municipality of Schelle submitted a financing proposal with a view to building a new sheltered housing facility for the CPAS (public social action centre). The previous sheltered housing facility and its 22 units – which dated back to the late 1960s/early 1970s – has thus been replaced by a brand new building whose accommodation units have 'near-zero' energy consumption.
This project chimes with the smart, strategic, integrated and progressive vision of the municipality of Schelle in terms of the environment and sustainability:
- With this state-of-the-art 'near-zero' building, Schelle intends to take the lead in the area of energy efficiency. Indeed, the accommodation units in the new CPAS sheltered housing facility score higher in terms of energy efficiency than what is required under the existing standards. The ‘near-zero’ energy standard will not in fact be mandatory for public buildings until 2019.
- The cost of construction is practically the same as for a 'conventional' building. With this project, Schelle has proven that the construction of ‘near-zero’ energy housing is within the reach of a public authority.
- Social and local integration is a significant factor in this project. The building's location makes it easy for the residents to mix with the rest of the town's population, not to mention the fact that people living in Schelle will also be able to use the building's meeting area for all kinds of local activities, e.g. meetings, conferences, information events, receptions, parties, etc.
As such, the EIB and Belfius considered that this project contributed without question to sustainable development and that it was therefore eligible for this loan on advantageous terms. The work commenced on 15 June 2014 and was completed on 23 October 2015. The total budget for this project was EUR 6 500 000.
Axel Boen, Chairman of CPAS and councillor, said: "Schelle considers sustainable development and environmentally responsible construction to be key priorities. We hope that this ‘near-zero’ sheltered housing facility will serve to inspire other towns and municipalities. And we can only applaud the fact that this major project was financed thanks to the Belfius/EIB 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' programme. The low interest charges accompanying this loan are obviously a major bonus, which will benefit both the municipality of Schelle and its inhabitants."
Belfius/EIB 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' Programme
Launched in June 2014 by Belfius Bank and the European Investment Bank, this financing programme is making EUR 400 million available to local authorities in Belgium for the implementation of smart and sustainable projects in line with a 'Smart Cities' approach, with a particular emphasis on mobility, urban development and/or energy efficiency.
The objective of this programme is to minimise borrowing costs for municipalities, CPAS and inter-municipal utilities in order to support their innovative and sustainable approach. The EIB and Belfius will each provide half of the funds.
Just over one year after the launch, progress is excellent. Schelle CPAS's ‘near-zero’ energy sheltered housing facility "Het Muydenhof" is the third project in Belgium to be completed thanks to this unique financing programme. The first two projects were recently inaugurated in Gembloux (new smart, sustainable town hall) and Harelbeke (CNG plant of inter-municipal waste management utility IMOG, which is also accessible to the general public) whilst numerous other proposals from towns, municipalities and inter-municipal utilities are still under examination. The 'Smart Cities' initiative is thus clearly gaining momentum in Belgium.
Delighted with the success of the 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' programme, EIB Vice-President Pim van Ballekom, remarked: "The 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' programme is a first for Belgium and also for Europe. It aims to provide real impetus to the 'Smart Cities' initiative so that this approach can become the new standard for the development of the towns and cities of the future. "Smart, inclusive and sustainable" projects as advocated by the EU's Europe 2020 strategy will be drivers of growth for these entities for the benefit of their citizens."
Dirk Gyselinck, member of Belfius Bank's Management Board, added: "Regardless of their size, towns have no other choice but to become smart in order to remain attractive. Even though there is no shortage of ideas, projects still run into financing hurdles too often when it comes to putting these ideas into practice. It is precisely to facilitate the implementation of the numerous smart projects throughout the country that are currently in the pipeline or at an embryonic stage that Belfius has developed the 'Smart Cities & Sustainable Development' programme with the EIB."
For further information about the European Investment Bank and its climate action approach: www.eib.org
For further information about Belfius's 'Smart Cities' strategy: https://www.belfius.be/smartcities