SDR Flanders and POM East Flanders join forces for sustainable industrial heat exchange
On 7 May 2025, SDR Flanders and POM East Flanders signed a cooperation agreement with a view to a “broadening process”: investigating the technical and economic feasibility of industrial heat exchange in several clusters within the Flemish part of the North Sea Port region. Through the Taskforce B2B Heat of Smart Delta Resources Flanders (SDR Flanders), the supply and demand for industrial heat are systematically mapped out. This method, tested in a cluster of companies in the northern part of the Ghent section of the port, is now being applied to other potential zones.
Technical details
Thermodynamic model: developed by Ghent University in collaboration with Smart Delta Resources, analyses the efficiency of heat exchange using data such as temperature, pressure and volume, and works out various scenarios.
Financial model: developed by POM Oost-Vlaanderen and SDR Flanders, this model supports investment decisions by predicting the impact on turnover, costs, cash flow, operating expenses (opex) and capital investments (capex).
Objectives of the collaboration:
- Identification of promising clusters for residual heat exchange.
- Concrete business cases for steam production using residual heat, possibly via high-temperature heat pumps.
- A supported strategy for heat transport infrastructure in the region.
At the end of the broadening process, it should be clear which clusters are feasible and eligible for an in-depth study (“deepening process”). This contributes to a climate-neutral industry, circular economy and strengthens cooperation between industry, knowledge institutions and governments in East Flanders.
Provinciale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij (POM) Oost-Vlaanderen is pioneering a sustainable, innovative and future-oriented East Flanders. They actively participate in sustainable, local collaborative projects between companies and provide additional project support. In addition, they develop sustainable reference projects on industrial estates and offer expertise and financing.
Photo: The cooperation agreement was signed by Dieter Geenens, Director of POM East Flanders, Joke Schauvliege, Chairman of the Board of Directors of POM East Flanders, and Carl De Maré, Programme Director of SDR Flanders.
