Belgium: SPIE improves energy efficiency at Lier’s Heilig Hart hospital

Lier, 30 May 2023 - SPIE Belgium, a subsidiary of the SPIE, the European independent leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has recently installed a new central CHP^[1] plant at the Heilig Hart Hospital in Lier. This installation will enable the hospital to take a further step in its energy transition and save up to 16.4% energy - while reducing its CO2 emissions by 265 tonnes a year.

In April 2022, the Heilig Hart Hospital in Lier began construction of an additional wing. This ultra-modern building will house a new intensive care unit and an extension to the operating theatre. The hospital's aim is to be able to welcome its first patients in this new wing by mid-2023.
With this building, Heilig-Hartziekenhuis also wants to take a step forward in terms of sustainability by renovating the entire HVAC and hot water systems - and thus make the complex more energy-efficient. 
 
Following the approval of its application, SPIE Belgium was selected to install a new central CHP plant in the upcoming building. This new installation will enable the hospital to produce heat and electricity efficiently, while emitting as little CO2 as possible. 

Tom Van Dyck, senior project manager at SPIE Belgium: “Thanks to this new 3.2 MW central heating plant (with a 140 kWe cogeneration unit) and the renovation of 5 heating substations, the Heilig Hart Hospital in Lier will be able to reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 265 tonnes. Energy savings are estimated at 16.4% per year, giving a payback period of 9.5 years for the entire installation. It is also important to note that there was no interruption to service during the works.”

_{[1] Combined Heating and Power.}