District Cleantech is an innovation, incubation and education platform dedicated to Cleantech projects and companies
First territorial hub of a future Cleantech Wallonia -
First territorial hub of a future Cleantech Wallonia -
Aligned with the Masterplan for Charleroi Porte Ouest
Setting ambitious objectives for the conversion of this former industrial site
District Cleantech is fully integrated into the validated Masterplan defining the conversion plan for Charleroi Porte Ouest industrial site. By 2026/2040, Charleroi Porte Ouest will be a territorial and economic site in development. With more than 35 hectares of land available in the heart of Charleroi Metropole, a perfect location in terms of mobility and access to waterways, this site offers a unique development potential in Wallonia and is tailor-made to host the new District Cleantech ecosystem.
Our ambition
In line with the European Green Deal, the "Fit 55", the Walloon Cleantech ambitions, the territorial development opportunities of the site and the adhesion of the City of Charleroi to the Covenant of Mayors, District Cleantech aims to facilitate the transition towards decarbonization of Charleroi Metropole and Walloon companies by 2026/2040. It will bring together multiple actors, such as companies, startups, research centers, academics and education stakeholders, around an innovation, incubation and education platform to accelerate the development of cleantech solutions.
Our ambition is to turn Cleantech District into a place of excellence in Wallonia, Belgium and Europe for specific Cleantech themes. We also want to make it the first territorial pole of a future Cleantech Wallonia, through the following priorities:
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The District Cleantech aims to deploy a brand new ecosystem focusing on projects related to hydrogen (production, testing and use) and CO2 capture, storage and utilization (CCU) technologies.
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Renovating existing buildings is an essential action to improve energy efficiency and drive clean energy transition. In line with this European objective, District Cleantech will host projects associated with the sustainable renovation/construction sector (including projects focusing on energy communities, heat networks, etc.).
For example, La Centrale, the building at the heart of the ecosystem that formerly housed a Power Plant, will include a large-scale circular renovation demonstrator aimed at the deployment and training of circular and sustainable solutions for the construction sector.
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District Cleantech will include projects active in the field of recycling building materials, metals, batteries, etc. and has the ambition to host projects related to urban farming and phytomanagement.
30 projects already identified
In line with the Cleantech focus themes, District Cleantech is currently in contact with more than 50 organisations that have expressed their interest in participating in this new dynamic. In concrete terms, more than 18 projects have already been identified to feed this brand new ecosystem and set up their future activities on District Cleantech grounds. On top, several projects are being discussed to facilitate the transition towards decarbonization of industrial companies active in Charleroi.
(Mapping is not contractual and is subject to change)
La Centrale, beating
heart of our ecosystem
La Centrale is a former power plant that be renovated to bring together key actors, tools and services of District Cleantech, including:
1. A demonstrator allowing the deployment and training of sustainable and circular solutions for renovation/construction sector
2. An incubator for startups and SME's active in the Cleantech sector
3. A creative platform allowing startups, corporates, research centers, clusters and more to accelerate the commercialization of Cleantech solutions through collaboration, exchanges and testing
4. An educational platform allowing the development of relevant Cleantech educational programs in line with market needs and in connection with other existing educational programs (FOREM, IFAPME, etc.)
