4 minute read
VALÉRIE WILLEMS WINS WOMENPRENEUR & VINCI ENERGIES AWARD
You can not only score high marks with your master's thesis, you can also win great prizes. Among all these rewards, one stands out. Whoever wins the Womenpreneur & VINCI Energies Award will not obtain a sum of money or a medal, but a permanent contract. Valérie Willems, Master in Nuclear Engineering Technology from KU Leuven Diepenbeek Campus, was the standout of the second edition.
Since November 2024, Valérie has been working at the technology company VINCI Energies Belgium. Her job description is quite different from that of other budding engineers. "My job is to explore," explains Valérie. "For a year, I can familiarise myself with the four major business lines of the company in order to then decide, well prepared and knowledgeable, which job in which field suits me best."
Women in Tech
The Womenpreneur & VINCI Energies Award was established in 2023 with the aim of attracting more women to technical professions. Belgium may have a vibrant technology industry with many start-ups and innovative companies, but there is still a huge talent shortage with the absence of women being particularly noticeable.
The Brussels-based organisation Womenpreneur Initiative and the Belgian subsidiary of French multinational VINCI Energies decided two years ago to award an original prize to a female engineering student who completed the most innovative master's thesis in the field of circular economy, ecology, industrial services, ICT and infrastructure.
The first winner was Phi Tran, a master in Chemical Engineering Technology from KU Leuven Group T Campus. After obtaining her degree and having demonstrated her excellence through her master’s thesis,
Phi continued her journey by joining the company. She is currently a Continuous Improvement Consultant at Actemium Belgium, part of the VINCI Energies Group. Phi supports companies in their energy transition by identifying optimisation opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce energy consumption and streamline processes.
Deep geothermal
Valérie conducted her master's thesis at VITO, one of Europe's leading research institutes in Mol (Belgium). She literally and figuratively immersed herself in geothermal energy. "Geothermal energy uses the heat naturally present in the earth's crust", Valérie explains. "On average, the temperature in the subsurface increases by about 3 °C per 100 m. That means that at a depth of 3,000 m you can find temperatures of around 100 °C. This makes geothermal an interesting non-polluting, renewable and constant source of energy."
"Which type of geothermal is used depends on local soil conditions and the desired temperature", Valérie continues. "In Flanders, the focus is currently on shallow geothermal, which is drilling from 50 to 300 m deep. In the region where VITO is located, there are aquifers in the deep subsurface, allowing drilling up to 3 km and deeper. The superheated water vapour from deep geothermal is suitable for industrial heat networks and electricity generation."
Construction of a conventional geothermal plant starts by drilling two or more wells or shafts from which hot water circulates. Valérie researched an alternative method where only a single borehole is sufficient. This single method is significantly cheaper and makes deep geothermal as a renewable energy source more attractive to investors, companies and the government. Innovative and economically viable, that is all the Womenpreneur & VINCI Award jury needed to declare Valérie the winner of the 2024-2025 edition.
Final choice
At VINCI Energies, Valérie has now already had the opportunity to become actively acquainted with three of the four business lines.
"At 'Infrastructure', I was involved in major projects in the distribution of renewable energy as well as the construction of high-voltage power lines and solar parks. At 'Building Solutions', I worked in the maintenance and operation of energy networks, heating, climate control and building safety. And at 'ICT' I learned a lot about cybersecurity, among other things, as well as data storage and transport and software applications", Valérie explains.
Until November this year, Valérie is immersing herself in industrial applications, particularly in optimising both the production process and energy consumption. Not coincidentally, these are two key elements for creating competitive advantage.
A final choice Valérie neither wants nor can make yet. "The business line 'Infrastructure' does fit well with my education, but that is not a decisive factor", says Valérie. "The work in the other business lines is certainly just as fascinating. At the moment, I am mainly interested in fringe benefits such as international contacts, growth opportunities and a stimulating working environment.
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My parents ran a company and always knew how to choose and exploit opportunities. From this mindset, I also want to continue my professional life."
- Yves Persoons
https://womenpreneurinitiative.com/womenpreneur-xvinci-energies-award-2025
