Week of 11 December
1. Double recognition for BuildUp at the Belgian Construction Awards (Belgium)
On 7 December, the Belgian Construction Awards were handed over and BuildUp went home with two awards. CEO Hélène de Troostembergh won the Young Construction Personality of the Year award, thanks to the public’s votes. BuildUp also won the silver award in the Climate Future Solution category. The award recognises ‘BuildUp Retrofit’, their offsite sustainably produced panels used for the energetic renovation of facades and roofs that can make buildings and houses energy-neutral in 24 hours, as you can see in this video. Big shoutout for BuildUp!
2. Nachtigal hydropower project: impoundment of the intake canal (Cameroon)
During the last week of November, our colleagues in Nachtigal concluded the final filling up of the headrace canal. This marks the readiness of the supply of the primary water circuit for the first turbine testing and electricity generation.
In the video below by NHPC you can relive that major moment in the life of the Nachtigal Hydroelectric power project. How impressive to see the water released from the dam and flow into the canal! Congrats to our team in Cameroon on this major milestone!
In partnership with French company NGE and Moroccan company SGTM, BESIX is taking part in developing the Nachtigal hydro-electric project in Cameroon, which will cover 30 % of the country's energy needs.
3. Jacques Delens: partial delivery for Esprit Courbevoie (Belgium)
Jacques Delens signed the provisional acceptance of three new buildings in the Esprit Courbevoie project, a BESIX RED development in Louvain-la-Neuve. Two buildings totaling 199 apartments and two retail spaces, and one BREEAM-certified building with more than 8,000 m² of offices for Befimmo are nearing final delivery. Bravo Jacques Delens and BESIX RED!
4. Socogetra: Exceptional CO2 performance for the hydraulic project in Pommeroeul (Belgium)
Our colleagues at Socogetra just finalised their site report and announced an exceptional CO2 performance for their hydraulic project in Pommeroeul. Concretely, they reduced global CO2 emissions by 21.2 % compared to their initial projections, their energy consumption by 18.5 %, and the CO2 emissions linked to freight by 36 % thanks to local sourcing, rational material use, and optimised transport.
Together with BESIX, Socogetra is building a 370-metre reinforced concrete quay wall in Pommeroeul for the Public Service Wallonia-Hainaut, for the transshipment of inland-waterway cargos. The project also includes the construction of an access road, the laying of a drainage system and a green area. The project is one of ten pilot contracts in Wallonia for which the CO2 performance scale is being applied. The objective is to gain a level-3 CO2 performance certification.
And then this... Let it snow
Winter is in full swing and our northern sites are all decked out in a snowy wonderland. Winter paints a picturesque scene, but let’s also take a moment to acknowledge our colleagues who work in these difficult winter conditions. So let it snow… but not too much! Hats off to our colleagues in Latvia, Denmark, and other cold regions!
