Nextensa Creates a New Energy Community in Brussels

Nextensa, working closely with WeSmart and residents on the Tour&Taxis site, is launching a new energy community in Brussels.

Since May 1, residents of the Tour&Taxis site have been able to enjoy locally generated electricity. It is produced thanks to photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the Gare Maritme located next to the residential area, Park Lane.

Following the European Union’s adoption of the so-called “Clean Energy Package,” new forms of energy sharing are emerging across Europe to accelerate the energy transition.

Central to this European energy strategy are the interests of consumers and the decentralization of electricity production.

On the highest roofs of Gare Maritime, Tour & Taxis’ energy-neutral flagship, there are 10,000 solar panels generating 3,000 MWh of renewable energy annually.

Most of this is consumed by the offices, commercial spaces, events and the Food Market located in the Gare Maritime itself. The surplus flowed toward the power grid until recently. That will now change. Thanks to the energy community, Nextensa, in partnership with WeSmart and the residents of Park Lane, is able to share with the residents of this new Brussels neighborhood a portion of excess electricity at an attractive rate.

Invest in renewable energy installations and support their accessibility

The creation of the Energy Community at Tour & Taxis is a pilot project aimed at offering the production surplus of solar panels installed on neighboring buildings to neighborhood consumers at an advantageous rate. In this way, the principle of collective self-consumption makes renewable energy accessible to all and makes a real contribution to achieving climate goals by reducing CO2 emissions.

“The desire to build ecosystems and explore transition paths is fully in line with Nextensa’s innovation policy. By betting on the principle of collective self-consumption, Nextensa makes locally produced renewable energy available and affordable for the residents of Tour & Taxis.” Valérie Vanderveken, Member of Nextensa’s ESG Committee

Pilot project with impact

For this pilot project, Nextensa worked closely with Brugel, Sibelga and WeSmart. Naturally, this project would not have been possible without the participation of the residents of Park Lane, the residential neighborhood on the Tour & Taxis site.

The results of the pilot project will be particularly instructive for all parties. On the one hand, the goal is to identify the impact of large-scale electricity sharing on grid management, and on the other hand, the results should also provide clues about the incentives and obstacles to the development of similar initiatives.

“WeSmart, a company that specializes in setting up energy communities, will provide the necessary support and provide participants with a digital platform that will allow them to view their consumption and download their bills every month in a clear and transparent way.” Marion Stabile, Manager of the energy community and resident of the Tour & Taxis site, administrative assistant in Communications and HR at WeSmart

This pilot project will run until April 2024. By creating this new model on the Brussels electricity market in collaboration with the active actors of this sector, Nextensa aims to demonstrate that nonprofessionals in the energy market can also play an important role in the energy transition that the European Union is pursuing.

About Nextensa

Nextensa NV is a mixed real estate investor and developer. The company’s investment portfolio is divided between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (41%), Belgium (44%) and Austria (15%); its total value as of 31/03/2023 was approximately € 1.4 billion.

As a developer, Nextensa is mainly active in shaping large urban developments. At Tour&Taxis (development of more than 350,000 m²) in Brussels, Nextensa is building a mixed real estate portfolio consisting of a revaluation of iconic buildings and new construction. In Luxembourg (Cloche d’Or), it is working in partnership on a major urban extension of more than 400,000 m² consisting of offices, retail and housing.

The company is listed on Euronext Brussels and has a market capitalization of €396.6 million (value 31/03/2023).

For more information

Valérie Vanderveken,

Member of Nextensa’s ESG committee

+32 (0)479 36 01 12

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