Climate Energy transition

Energy transition

Cordeel Group develops practical technologies and services to help tackle the challenges of the energy transition. We support our customers in reducing their operational carbon emissions and staying ahead in a fast-changing energy landscape.

Why do we need to accelerate the energy transition?

Buildings have a significant impact on global greenhouse gas emissions and play a major role in contributing to climate change.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the building sector accounted for 39% of global CO₂ emissions in 2019.

Operational carbon is currently responsibly for the biggest impact of buildings. It refers to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the energy used to power a building’s systems, including heating, cooling, lighting, and appliances.

To mitigate these emissions, we focus on decreasing the energy consumption and fossil-free energy systems.

While our new builds are already fossil-free, we see a significant opportunity to make a positive impact by renovating older buildings that tend to consume large amounts of energy.

This shift presents technical and economic challenges. We observe an increasing demand for more complex “behind the meter” energy systems.

This refers to energy systems that operate on the customer’s side of the electricity meter, such as on-site generation, storage, and energy management.

We see a trend toward collective systems, higher capital investments, specialized maintenance, and tailored optimization strategies.

Additionally, external factors such as grid congestion and the integration of renewable energy in the energy mix need to be taken into account.

Through our specialized as-a-service approach, we support customers in navigating and implementing these changes effectively.

Our solution to grid congestion

The rapid electrification of buildings, transport, and industrial processes is putting Belgium’s and the Netherlands’ electricity grids under serious pressure.

Demand is growing faster than grid infrastructure can keep up, and the result is grid congestion: situations where the available grid connection is insufficient for a site’s energy needs, stalling development projects before they have even broken ground.

For project developers, this means delays, redesigns, and in some cases a complete commercial standstill while waiting for a grid upgrade that can take years to materialise.

C-energy has developed a structured approach to help clients move forward without waiting for the grid.

The starting point is always a detailed analysis of current and future energy needs, including electrification of processes, EV fast-charging infrastructure, and projected production growth, matched against the available or expected grid connection.

From that analysis, C-energy designs a customised on-site energy mix that can include solar production, battery storage, backup diesel generators (optionally powered by HVO 100 fuel) and an energy management system that ties all assets together.

Where relevant, C-energy can also finance the energy assets and offering clients a fixed, transparent energy cost under an Energy-as-a-Service model, removing both the capital burden and the energy uncertainty from the equation.

Energy as a Service

C-energy supports customers in transitioning to green energy and electromobility by investing in the production and charging infrastructure on the customer’s site. Throughout the contract period, C-energy remains the owner of the assets and is responsible for the complete maintenance of the installed energy assets.

The customer pays a transparent energy price for the consumed electrical energy over a period of 15 years. After that period they become the owner of the energy infrastructure.

Our scope covers all aspects of the project: analysis, design, financing, permits, grid study, insurance, construction, maintenance, monitoring, administration, and billing during operation (“Asset Management”).

The following technologies are eligible for an Energy as a Service project:

Heat as a Service

C-energy provides you with peace of mind regarding the transition to low-emission heating networks for new construction and total renovation projects.

We achieve this by investing in all systems and installations related to the generation, storage, distribution, and measurement of heat on the customer’s site. A similar concept can be applied to cooling and ventilation.

Throughout the contract duration, C-energy retains ownership of the collective heating installation and substations. Similar to Energy as a Service, we remain responsible for the maintenance of the installed heat assets.

The customer pays a transparent fee for the installation and maintenance and a pre-determined price for the consumed heat over a period of 20 years and becomes owner of the energy infrastructure afterwards.

Possible technologies

  • Collective heat generation and distribution at low temperature
  • All forms of geothermal energy
  • Heat pumps: air-water / air-air
  • Backup heating installations
  • Cooling (active and passive) and ventilation
  • Energy Management System (EMS)

 

Additionally, we’re active in ESCO projects. An ESCO (Energy Service Company) project aims to make buildings more energy-efficient through large scale renovations, not only of energy systems but also of the building itself. We help reduce energy use, keep comfort levels high, and switch to more sustainable energy sources.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS)

Energy storage will play a vital role in any future-proof energy management strategy. Battery technology can help optimise the use of renewable energy sources by matching our customer’s energy consumption with their energy production.

C-battery’s BESS technology helps their customers tackling various challenges.

Lithium-Ion batteries made in Belgium

Our subsidiary C-battery is an expert in engineering and assembling both mobile and stationary batteries using Lithium-Ion technology.

The main advantages of our Lithium-ion battery are:

  • Stationary and mobile solutions for indoor and outdoor usage
  • Small footprint and high energy density
  • Integrated fire protection
  • Designed to be environmentally responsible and to minimise waste across their entire lifecycle
  • Ideal for trading, auto-consumption, peak shaving, backup power

Capacity: from 70 kWh to 5 MWh

Installing energy-efficient techniques

Buildings are increasingly evolving into smart buildings. As a result, the demand for innovative technical installations is growing immensely.

Thanks to the various companies within the C-tech division, with a strong focus on integrated project management and customized solutions, we are able to meet this need. The companies within the C-tech division design and install the most complex multi-technical installations themselves.

From HVAC and electricity to plumbing and piping, to industrial automation, security systems, energy applications, and maintenance.

The main purpose of a HVAC system is to maintain a healthy indoor air quality through adequate ventilation with filtration whilst providing thermal comfort. However, HVAC systems are among the biggest energy consumers in a building.

To address this, we can implement efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning solutions that rely on renewable energy sources and low GWP (‘global warming potential’) air-conditioning systems. These measures can significantly reduce the operational carbon emissions of buildings. For instance, the new Imtech Naninne office building will be equipped with a CO₂-heat pump with a low GWP and low operational costs.

New headquarter CM Hasselt

Modular HVAC systems

The new headquarters of CM features energy-efficient HVAC systems that ensure efficient production of heating and cooling water with 4-pipe heat pumps.

The modular configured ventilation system provides hygienic ventilation with CO₂ control in specific zones such as meeting rooms.

For optimal comfort, climate ceilings are installed in the building and each zone is individually adjustable, allowing for personalized climate settings.

Due to the modular construction, it is possible to register energy consumption per block/floor/zone for both heating/cooling and water usage.

Multifunctional, energy-neutral building

Mobilis Anderlecht

Mobilis by D’Ieteren Immo in Anderlecht combines offices, coworking areas and sports facilities.

For this project, Imtech delivered the HVAC and sanitary systems, centred around a geothermal installation paired with an active activation system for concrete structural slabs.

This system uses the earth’s stable temperature for energy-efficient heating and cooling, while the activated slabs ensure even temperature distribution.

Zonal controls provide flexibility to meet the varying climate needs of offices, fitness areas, and other facilities within the building.

The project achieved a BREEAM Outstanding certification.

hier tekst

Maintenance

Imtech has dedicated maintenance technicians that are responsible for maintaining the technical installations under contract.

Regular maintenance plays a crucial role in promoting energy efficiency, extending the lifespan of equipment, facilitating upgrades and retrofits and curbing emissions. This is particularly important for air-conditioning systems, where leaks can have a significant impact on CO₂-emissions.

C-maintenance employs additional maintenance experts that are responsible for the general maintenance of the projects that we built under a “DBXM” formula. In the contract we committed to not only build, but also maintain the buildings over a defined time span.

Energy hills

Our patented Energy Hills are powerful hydro batteries that function as both energy assets and ecological landmarks.

This concept is highly versatile, suitable for developing open land plots, as well as (re)developing brownfields, (abandoned) industrial sites or historic landfill locations. A water-bound site is preferred to enable waterways for transport, minimising the need for trucking.

 

How does it work?

We construct a green hill with an altitude of up to 40 metres, with a water basin placed on top of that hill. The interconnected basins – on top of the hill and at the bottom – form a closed circuit to limit the impact on local surface water or groundwater dynamics.

Excessive renewable energy or imbalances on the electricity grid, are used to pump up water and store it in the basin on top of the hill as potential energy. This energy can be converted into hydroelectricity as needed.

The final design of each hill is adapted to fit in with the local fauna and flora, creating an integrated ecological habitat that blends in perfectly with its surroundings.

Currently, we build a pilot project in Temse, set to be finished by the end of 2025.

In May 2025 we received the permit for our energy hill in Zutendaal with a planned capacity of 1 MWh.

Electrification of industrial processes

Sustainable and fast heating technology 

MEAM, which stands for ‘Microwave Energy Applications Management’, specialises in developing smart and low-carbon solutions for the electrification of various industrial processes such as heating, drying and pasteurisation. Industrial microwave technology can successfully heat suitable materials directly to the core without transfer losses or the need for heat transport mediums like air or steam.

This microwave technology aligns with our vision of the future, as it allows for the electrification of gas-driven heating processes, making energy transfer more efficient and faster while simultaneously reducing and even eliminating on-site emissions of CO₂, NO₂ and SO₂.

Moreover, the technology offers additional advantages such as the elimination of warm-up time and requiring less floor, making it more cost-effective to implement in terms of OPEX.

Stable energy supply

In 2022, C-energy acquired a stake in MEAM. Through our close partnership with MEAM, we are able to offer solutions that guarantee a dependable energy supply for their microwave installations and provide our clients with essential expertise and guidance during their transition period.

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