The study visit in Ghent was hosted and organised by FLUX50. The visit took place over two full days and combined field visits to selected demonstration sites, with expert presentations and a final wrap-up session. The site visits were conducted at local companies and research institutions involved in the development and operation of innovative district heating networks and heat pump solutions.
On-Site Visits
12.05.2026 | Nieuwe Dokken
Nieuwe Dokken is a flagship example of a 4th generation low-temperature district heating network in Ghent, supplying more than 400 urban units from locally available heat sources including wastewater heat recovery and biogas. Operated by local cooperative DuCoop, the site provided participants with a concrete example of how technological innovation and cooperative governance can be efficiently combined in new urban developments.
12.05.2026 | MuideMeulestede
The Living Lab Muide-Meulestede illustrates how decentralised geothermal solutions, including borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) combined with local heat networks, are being co-developed with citizens in existing urban districts. The site constitutes a valuable example of how technical and economic challenges of neighbourhood-scale fossil-free heating can be addressed through shared infrastructure and participation.
12.05.2026 | Luminus Heatnet
The Luminus district heating network is one of the oldest and largest in Belgium, in operation since 1958 and spanning approximately 23 km. The visit offered insight into how legacy infrastructure can be modernised through the integration of industrial heat pumps and large-scale thermal storage, while also illustrating the challenges of transitioning towards fully low-carbon heat sources.
13.05.2026 | DAIKIN Europe
The Daikin Europe R&D Centre is a €140 million innovation hub developing air-, water-, and ground-source heat pump technologies for industrial and building applications. The visit showcased cutting-edge testing infrastructure and applied research on heat recovery and system efficiency, complemented by a presentation from ODE Vlaanderen on the Belgian heat pump market and policy framework.
13.05.2026 | Alpro Installations
The Alpro site demonstrated how an advanced industrial energy park, which combines CHP, heat pumps, electric boilers, and absorption cooling can be fully integrated within a food processing environment. The visit highlighted how smart automation and buffering enable flexible operation, supporting simultaneous gains in energy efficiency and in the reduction of emissions.
13.05.2026 | G-tech heat pump
The G-tech research group at Ghent University provided insight into applied research on next-generation heat pump technologies. The facility serves as a test and demonstration environment where innovative solutions are developed and validated before market deployment.
The two-day programme concluded with a structured wrap-up session consolidating key insights and discussing replication potential across the HeatInvest partner regions.
Study Visit Highlights
