Charlotte Timmers. Biomassing Central Limburg

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Towards a socio-ecological sTrucTuring of HouTHalen-HelcHTeren

AUTHOR

Charlotte Timmers

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Towards a socio-ecological sTrucTuring of HouTHalen-HelcHTeren

AUTHOR

Charlotte Timmers

PROMOTOR

Bruno De Meulder

CO-PROMOTOR Julie Marin

READERS

Ward Verbakel Liesl Vanautgaerden Freija Bas

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C YC LI C L AN D SC AP E URB ANISM THESIS Thesis submitted to obtain a degree of: Master of Urbanism and Strategic Spatial Planning (MaUSP) Academic year: 2016-2017

PROMOTOR Bruno De Meulder

CO - PROMOTOR Julie Marin

MORE INFO MAHS / MAUSP / EMU Master Programs Department ASRO, K.U.Leuven Kasteelpark Arenberg 1, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium Tel: + 32(0)16 321 391 Email: hilde.meulemans@kuleuven.be

© copyright Ku leuven without written permission of the promotors and the authors it is forbidden to reproduce or adapt in any form or by any means any part of this publication. requests for obtaining the right to reproduce or utilize parts of this publication should be addressed to dept. asro, Kasteelpark arenberg 1/2431, B-3001 Heverlee, +32- 16321350 or via e-mail to secretariaat@asro. kuleuven.be. a written permission of the promotor is also required to use the methods, products, schematics and programs described in this work for industrial or commercial use, and for submitting this publication in scientific contests. all images in this booklet are, unless credits given, made or drawn by the authors.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who made the outcome of this thesis possible.

First of all, I would like to thank my promotor Bruno de Meulder, for his inspirational feedback, not only during the thesis, but also during the 2 years of the master as a whole and for his belief in my potential.

I want to thank my co-promotor Julie Marin for her guidance, inspiration, advice and clear comments, for providing me a broad theoretical background and an immense interest in the circular economy.

To Liesl Vanautgaerden and Hanne van Gils, for bringing me in contact with many stakeholders who provided me better insights in the topic. For the moral support and the brainstorm sessions, the friendship and clear directions and inspiration provided in times of need during the thesis semester, and all year round.

To my colleagues at the department of Omgeving. From whom I have learned the most diverse inside information about the Campine Plateau. About its ecology, agriculture and so on. For their patience, understanding and the time given to focus on this thesis.

To Natuurinvest, Ovam and Hans and Bart from RLLK, for their help and their availability to help me understand all the aspects of biomass and the valorization of this raw material in a competitive economy.

To Ciel, Z33 and Space Caviar for the experience of the workshop series around the Coaltrack. The given opportunity, to learn about the urban design questions from a different perspective and in collaboration with the inhabitants, experts and stakeholders.

To Bertien for the interesting conversations, the inside knowledge about planning in Houthalen and the overal interest in my thesis.

To my cousin Gilles for the companionship during the last stages of both our thesis’s, for reasoning and motivation in times of need.

To Laura and Anna, for the helping hand and the encouragements.

To all my friends, fellow students and colleagues, for their sincere interest, their patience for my absence and their ability to still make me relax from time to time during this stressful time in my life.

I finally thank my parents and my brother who made it possible for me to enroll in this master and gave me inexhaustible moral support during my eight years of university, for their patience and care during the endless deadline periods.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

Abst r ac t

1. PREFAC E

010 - 019.

Why biomass?

Hout ha len-Helchteren Met ho dolog y

2. INT ERPRETING LA N dS CAPES OCCUPATION T h RO U Gh TIME 1777 1884 1964 2016

020 - 041.

A S o cio-E colog ic a l L ands c ap e Dr iv ing L ands c ap es Pro duc t iv it y O ver w helming t he L ands c ap e An overa l l imb a l ance

4. TO dAY’S Ch ALLENGES

042 - 073.

S o cio-e conomic a l cha l l enges C l ash of s c a les: t he g rote b aan Ag r ic u lture E colog y Pl anning Fr ame work

5. O PPO RT UNITY OF T h E BIOMAS S ECONOMY

074 - 095.

Va l or izing biomass waste L and s cape Machines & Technolog y D r y ing & Weighing Cre at ing opp or tunit ies for HH

6. I NT ROd U CTION OF T hE dES IGN S ITES

096 - 117.

Europ ark

7. BIO MASS ING h OUT hALEN-hEL C hTEREN

118 - 143.

8. BIBLIO GR AP h Y

144 - 145.

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POLICY

SOCIOLOGICAL ECONOMICAL ECOLOGICAL

“Historically, mono-functional approaches to the design of infrastructures have typically segregated the basic provisions of water, waste, transport, food and energy into separate, unrelated departments. At large regional scales, bureaucratic separation of infrastructural services is proving costly and Ineffective” - Belanger

BIOMA

SS ECO

NOMY

ABSTRACT In a world with rising awareness for materials scarcity and using renewable resources, Houthalen-Helchteren is becoming a circular economy pioneer. In this framework, Central Limburg and in particular Houthalen-Helchteren have been identified as the ideal location to valorize biomass from landscape maintenance, into a circular biomass economy. A biomass hub project at HH’s Europark has successfully been granted a European subsidy and found a private partner in Bionerga. This thesis explores the potential of this biomass infrastructure investment as an opportunity to steer Houthalen-Helchteren’s spatial structure.

Instead of just being another infrastructural implementation, this thesis proposes to design Houthalen-Helchteren’s new biomass infrastructure as a social and ecological infrastructure supporting a circular landscape economy. It seeks synergies with existing challenges and opportunities in HH in terms of unemployment, education, ecosystem services and landscape restoration. The design proposal offers a reinterpretation of Central Limburg’s historical cyclic heath landscapes, sustained by sheep herds producing wool, honey and sods?

Human activity has become a dominant and disruptive source of planetary change having known a true escalation throughout the last decades[1][2]. Our linear economic model has grown outside the limits of landscapes’ natural resources as was proven once again when we recently reached the world overshoot day on the 2 of August 2017. From this point on we have used more resources from nature than our planet can renew in one year. As stated by Dirk Barrez: “A growth model that is striking on the fineness of our earth”[3]. Where Limburg inhabitants once lived in a balanced ecosystem with the landscape, they now have grown fully detached from it[4]. From the soft appropriation of a harsh heath landscape, that was perceived as a ‘waste scape’1, to the invasive colonization of the plateau, Central-Limburg shifted from a circular (eco-)system into a non-sustainable linear economy. This linear economy is sensitive for global fluctuations and has caused the region to fall in economic decline after the closing of the mines, and again after the closing of the Ford factory. Resulting in high unemployment rates and social segregation. This thesis looks back to the cyclic system of the past and gives it a contemporary interpretation, in an attempt to integrate current challenges of Houthalen Helchteren within a spatial framework of this new system.

This thesis aims to demonstrate the added value of the design approach in complex infrastructural questions as multi-actor, multi-dimensional questions. The conception of a new biomass infrastructure is used as a case study. The proposed urban design approach demonstrates how design can be used as a tool to integrate multiple challenges and opportunities in Central Limburg.

1 Van acKer, MaarTen; ‘from flux to frame: designing infrastructure and shaping urbanization in Belgium’, leuven university Press (2014) 2 Belanger, Pierre; ‘landscape infrastructure; urbanism Beyond engineering’, landscape Journal, Volume 28 issue 1, p79-95 (2009) 3 BarreZ, dirK; ‘Transitie: onze welvaart van morgen’, Pelckmans Pro (2016) 4 Marin, Julie; ‘central limburg’s regenerative landscape: a laboratory for resource urbanism’ (2016) 9

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PREFACE Why biomass?

Hout ha len-Helchteren Met ho dolog y

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12

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Picture taken by author.

Limburg is Flanders’ greenest province and therefore the ideal location to start a biomass economy with organic waste from landscape maintenance. This picture from the Terrill of Waterschei shows an abundance of green looking in the direction of Genk and Hasselt. Central Limburg as an overall green landscape.

PREFACE

13

WHY BIOMASS? Central Limburg aims to become a circular region, using circular economy as a new regional identity. One of the explored circular economy branches in Limburg is the biomass economy, as Limburg is known for its abundant forests, agricultural land and owns 40% of Flanders national parks [1].

Biomass economy studies such as ‘Houtige biomassa voor energie in Limburg’[2] have pointed out Limburg as a strategic region when it comes to local biomass harvesting and a biomass economy based on landscape management. When managing a landscape, a large amount of biomass is released in the form of sobs, pruning wood, wood chips or wood logs. Today this biomass is mostly composted (against payment) or left behind in the harvesting area.

The landscape biomass is treated as waste while it could be reused for both ecological and economic purposes if it would be collected and sorted. Within this thesis we explore an articulation of biomass economy based on landscape conservation, maintenance and performance. Although this landscape maintenance biomass economy is perceived as a weak economy, its potential lies in the fact that maintaining and managing the land can simultaneously include goals of biodiversity and other landscape ecosystem services, while harvesting raw materials. This design research proposes local and sustainable development scenarios, creating win-wins in different fields. From this perspective, the new biomass infrastructure could reduce the cost of nature- and land management that is already been done today [4].

[1] http://limburgsetroeven.be/troeven/ [2] ‘Houtige biomassa voor energie in limburg’, eindrapport, p65 (2012) [3] inspiratieboek klimaatneutraal [4] landscHaP noord-Holland (2014)

HOUTHALEN-HELCHTEREN surface: 48,49 km2 30.560 inhabitants

LIMBURG PROvINCE surface: 242,231 ha 838.505 people 44 municipalities

FLANDERS surface: 13.682,38 km2 6.471.996 people 308 municipalities

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

BIOMASS POTENTIAL The map on the right shows the future biomass potential in Limburg. The black outline shows the municipality of Houthalen. The map was one of the outcomes of the study of ‘houtige biomassa’ 0 - 50 ton ds/jr 51 - 100 ton ds/jr 101 - 250 ton ds/jr 251 - 500 ton ds/jr > 500 ton ds/jr

aerial map retrieved from gis data.

PREFACE

15

HOUTHALEN-HELCHTEREN

Houthalen-Helchteren is a municipality of approximately 30.573 inhabitants [1] and is located in Central Limburg. HouthalenHelchteren had the identity of being one of the seven mining municipalities of Limburg. However, they are in search of a new one. The historical economical fluctuations caused by the closing of the mines and later by the closing of ford Genk and the Philips industry in Hasselt has marked HH and has left them with high numbers of unemployment and social segregation. Today Houthalen-Helchteren positions itself in becoming a circular economy pioneer. First of all they have the reputation of being a ‘waste municipality’ as they house a huge landfill at Remo and multiple recycling facilities such as van Gansewinckel and Bionerga.

As forerunners in the transition to circular economy they want to turn this ‘waste image’ into a positive story of circular economy, with initiatives such as Greenville Clean tech campus and CTC3 converting Centrum-Zuid into a sustainable business park.

They are not only looking into the sustainable conversion of waste, but also in the biomass economy based on landscape maintenance.

Together with Regional Landscape low Campine they are investigating the implementation of a biomass hub at Europark. For this project they have been granted a subsidy by Europe and found a private local partner in Bionerga. This biomass hub will function as the central gathering place for locally harvested biomass.

HECHTEL-EKSEL

MILITARY DOMAIN ‘KAMP vAN BEvERLO’

[1] http://www.houthalen-helchteren.be

project BIOMASSHUB Europark European Union

Live project € HELCHTEREN MILITARY DOMAIN ‘SCHIETvELD’

HOUTHALEN

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

0

2.5

5

7.5

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12.5 km

REMO

EUROPARK

CENTRUM ZUID

aerial map retrieved from snapshot. Map on the left is based on a map from ‘atlas central limburg project. Houthalen- Helchteren & the coal track.’ which was the outcome of the workshop in Houthalen-Helchteren.

PREFACE

17

FEBRUARY 2016 30th of January6th of February

Participant in the workshop; Waste of the city/the city of waste. Intensive design workshop.

JULY 2016

INTERNSHIP WITH THE FLEMISH DEPARTMENT OF SPATIAL DEvELOPMENT

18th of July

Meeting with the vLM

11th of August

Meeting with Bart Paessen from RLLK

9th of September

investigating the possibility of an ecological corridor for the ‘gladde slang’ within the countour lines imposed by the flemish government.

Meeting with vLM, ANB, AWv

SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 28th of September 1st of October

Participant in the Incomplete City Beta Workshop

by Z33 and Space Caviar

JANUARY 2017 23th of January February

Completion of a small booklet containing my research on the ecological corridor.

Start of the thesis Following the Incomplete City Beta Workshop the participants became guides for the implementation of this methodology around different workshops in the 7 municipalities connected to the coaltrack.

14th of March

Guide for the workshop in Houthalen on the topic of the biomass hub with experts from ANB, vLM, RLLK.

20th of March

Guide for the workshop in Houthalen on the topic of the biomass hub with locals and stakeholders.

12th of May 18

Meeting with Natuurinvest, Ovam and the department of Energy for the biomass square.

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

METHODOLOGY

This thesis is based on systemic thinking and cyclic landscape urbanism. The research of this thesis has been based on simultaneous fieldwork, cartographic and textual analysis and regular contact moments with different stakeholders and experts. Meetings with RLLK, the Flemish Government, OVAM, Natuurinvest and so on have given a deep insight in the topic and have directed me into the missing links to embed the local biomass economy in a spatial structuring framework.

Next to these meetings also partitioning in different workshops with experts of different fields and the local inhabitants gave me a deeper understanding of the potential of the biomass economy and the possible spatial and socio-ecological shift it could generate.

These moments provided me with the best information to start analyzing and mapping the different systems, challenges and opportunities.

This thesis partially builds further on the workshop result from Houthalen Helchteren, which was exhibited at the IABR in 2016 and in which I was a participant [1]. ‘ This thesis rephrases and further details the workshop’s development vision for HH to become a pioneer in a circular landscape economy.

1 Marin J., Motti M., de Meulder B. (2016). atelier # 1. in: de Bruyn J., Vanautgaerden l., Van gils H., lens d. (eds.), Het Kolenspoor getest.

This book was the outcome of the first workshop I participated in. within this workshop different cyclic design scenarios were made for HH, connecting to different angles of the circular economy.

2 incomplete city beta workshop by space caviar and Z33.

Pictures from the workshop sessions in Houthalen.

PREFACE

19

20

INTERPRETING LANdSCAPE OCCUPATION IN TIME 1777 | A S o cio-E colog ic a l L ands c ap e 1838 | A C olonizat ion 1964 | O ver w helming t he L ands c ap e

21

“The campine region: a blind spot in the eye of the cartographer”, the speculator map of Brabant, 1705. Picture from Van Acker Maarten, ‘From flux to Frame’

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

The heath landscape of genk, a wild harsh farreaching landscape. Picture from outsen, P., wyckmans, K.; ‘Jaarboek coalface 2010 n°2’, coalface (2011)

The campine, a productive landscape?!

As was mentioned in From Flux to Frame; “if tracing the Campine region in ancient maps, it was the ‘blankness’ that reaches the eye”. The medieval landscape of Central Limburg consisted of immeasurable heath, noticeably absent of settlements if compared to its neighboring regions. “In the cartographers eye it was a land that neither belonged to anyone, nor was cultivated; but above all, anyone looking at the land could never have expected it to be of any immediate benefit” [1]. It was perceived as the poor sandy soils could hardly be used for agricultural means.

1 Van Acker Maarten, ‘From flux to Frame 2 Zwaeneoel, a., et al.. ‘Historische ecologie in limburg; de laatste getuigen’ InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

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An ecosystem

a ‘plagger’ who is cutting the heath branches to take to the potstal and mix with manure of the cattle to become fertilizer. Picture from regionalebronnenbank.nl

The potstal. Picture from hummelo.nl 5 km

This vastness was often intersected by meadow rich valleys; in Central Limburg these of the watershed of the Dommel and the Nete. On higher grounds, between these wet meadows and the heath fields communities of farmers settled. Surrounded by ‘plaggenbodem’ complexes and small-enclosed fields.

These settlements found themselves a place within the plateau’s ecosystem. Turf and sods were gathered from the heath and enriched in stables, which where called the ‘potstal’. The process of enrichment happened at night with the manure of the sheep and the cattle. With this fertilizer the farmers laboriously tried to withdraw plot by plot from the surrounding wasteland [1]. During the day the sheep were sent to the heath, considered as common land. The sheep ate away the nutrients on the heath and were a part in the preservation of this nutrient poor cultural landscape. By this intervention they eluted bushes and trees to start growing and enriching the soil. On the fields the farmers grew not only grains, but also hennep, which was used to produce clothing and ropes.

Not only sheep where part of the economy around the heath landscape, but the heath also produced litter, fuel and honey. Beehives where placed at different positions on the heath, creating a specific honey that could be sold on the big markets of the surrounding harbors of Antwerp and Mechelen.

The system was based on a common use of the heath and meadow landscape so it could be used to its productive potential for the farmers to survive.

This was possible because of the disinterest by the authority and thus a complete lack of policy frame.

1 Van Acker Maarten, ‘From flux to Frame

heath

wetlands

agricultural land

hedgerows

wet meadow

paths

swamp

trading route

The map shows the early beginning of Helchteren around 1777. it shows the rich agricultural landscape between the wet meadows that where used for cattle breeding. The farms are gathered in small groups instead of being scattered over the agricultural fields.

Map was drawn by author, based on the historical ferraris map.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

The ecosystem is a social-agricultural system that is based on survival. This survival requires different social relations and collaborations in order to produce and sustaine themselves. This is visible in the common use of materials, cattle and the landscape.

clothes

ropes

hennep

settlements in proximity of drinking water

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

25

The heath landscape of Genk, in the back we see a first glimpse of the coal mines protruding in the horizon. Picture from Jean Massart, “Bruyère et vallée de stiemerbeek” les aspects de la végétation en Belgique

“Ziet hier den akkerman met kar en paard verbeeldt, en hoe hij ‘t dorre land de vruchtbaarheid beveelt.” - Hechtel Eksel (ca 1823)

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

1838

| A colonization

Initial initiatives for colonizing the Belgian wasteland can be noticed as early as the mid 18th century and initiates the start of the shift of the productive heath ecosystem towards the landscape we know today [1]. It frames the beginning of far reaching change in an until now stable land use.

The first policy frameworks were called to life in 1823 when a special agriculture commission met in Brussels. In the search for an answer to the exponential population growth in the country and an agricultural recession in the West of Flanders, leading to massive food shortages, they looked at the Campine. It was the first attempt to seek for measures to increase the ‘wastelands’ productivity and perpetuated the Campine as its main challenge.

As previous attempts where not as sufficient as hoped, the Ministry of public works started to investigate and invest in techniques to increase the productivity of the heath landscape. In 1838 they started the project: reclaim the Campine, with in charge engineer Ulrich-Nicolas Kümmer. Kümmer localy provided for a vast development of the Campine landscape, including the construction of canals, irrigation tentacles, dams and land leveling.

1 Van Acker Maarten, ‘From flux to Frame

The reclamation process analyzed by engineer Kümmer. Picture from Vanacker Maarten, from flux to frame.

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

27

On a local scale farmers already started experimenting with the landscapes productivity before the government initiated small scale farming experiments. These experiments had proven that bringing water into the heathlands could lead to cultivation of grass. Grass would enable farmers to raise cattle, which in turn would produce fertilizer, with the use of the potstal. However, the invention of artificial fertilizer made it possible to appropriate more and more of the heath as it replaces the use of sods and the potstal to create fertilizer. This invention was the beginning of the end of the vast heath landscapes.

With the upcoming of artificial fertilizer the heath landscape lost its agricultural function of fertilizer, which was the beginning of the end of the vast heath landscapes.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

The technique of the state reclamation was based on techniques imposed by local farmers. Picture from Vanacker Maarten, From flux to frame.

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Even today we can find this implementation back on the current landscape of the plateau, as the sources of the creeks on the plateau are not the original ones, but are extended further onto the “wasteland”.

The map is drawn by the author, based on gis information of the situation today and the Ferraris map reflecting on the situation in 1777.

Water structure 2017

Water structure 1777

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

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On a big scale however, an even more invasive infrastructural implementation was planned. The ministry was working on a plan to dig a big canal connecting the rivers of the Demer, the Nethe, the Meuse and the Scheldt, with the aim to further develop agriculture as it draws in water in the most sad and desolated regions of the country, and to establish new industry. Setting the stone for an appropriation of the plateau as we know it today.

This plan was approved on in 1842. And shifting the point of view on the plateau towards a genuine potential ‘province’.

The roughness, hospitality and wasteland status of this borderland was seen as a positive quality in the eyes of the military. Between 1831 -1835 they

created a ‘military base’ in Beverlo and brought a major change to the landscape. In many places on the plateau the common heath land got bought by investors and was planted with pine. In 1904 429 hectares of heath and land dunes were purchased and wooded with the Grove den, the so-called pine [1].

After 1945 the military domain was expanded and a segment was afforested with hardwood. Although by this time the heath in the military base had to endure all kinds of army exercises, they were saved from exploits and urbanization. A reconversion to agricultural fields occurred on a smaller scale and is of more recent origin. Humid parts of the heath were pasture or evolved spontaneously to more eutrophic vegetation types.

1 Van Acker Maarten, ‘From flux to Frame

MILITARY BASE OF BEvERLO

MINE CITé MEULENBERG

This map shows the industrialisation of Central Limburg around 1930.

Where the colonization of the plateau with pine forests is evident, but also the implementation of an infrastructural railnetwork, the coaltrack. This map uses the base of Studio Campine 2015, MaHS and MaUSP, Kuleuven. agricultural fields afforestation

Houthalen 30

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

36 m

GROvE DEN Pinus Sylvestris

1777

These artificially pine forests that were planted between 1831 and 1835 were thus mainly exploited by the military for strategic & economic reasons and by the mining industry for shoring the mines. Also, several noble men were amongst the investors who bought and parceled out the heath land for afforestation and personal economic gain.

Typical for this government supported afforestation process is the rectangular pattern that till today is reflected in the forest landscape of the province.

1847

1910 Pine forests of Pinus Sylvestris where artificially planted in the Campine around 1850. Planted in geometric patterns that made it easier to harvest the wood for the mining industry. Today these patterns are still present. Picture given by RLLK, graph coming from from flux to frame. amount of heath amount of afforestation

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Pictures taken by author, in the heath landscape of Zonhoven.

Today the plantation of these pine forests are still very prominent in the landscape. Within the military areas they mainly border the heath from the urbanisation and have an important buffering capacity.

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

33

Besides the landscape occupation and division of higher hand, a different economy started growing. The heath became a tourist attraction for many landscape artists and painters as infrastructural implementations made the area more approachable.

François Roffiaen - Studie in Genk (1854)

Jean Massart - etang à bord plat entre Hasselt et genck - from ‘les aspects de la végétation en Belgique (1912)

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

emile Van doren - Herfstnevel

“Il y a en effet, en Belgique, une école de la Campine, une quantité de peintres se son inspirés de ce pays de la solitude et de la désolation.” (La Belgique illustrée 1918:20)

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

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1964

|Overwhelming the landscape

Houthalen-Helchteren was one of the seven mining municipalities along the Coal track and had a flourishing mining economy in the 50’s. The mines where the main employer for the region. In this time workers all over the world where attracted to work in the mines, causing a drastic change in the composition of the local population. With the coming of these new employees the mining cité Meulenberg was created. However this cité was physically disconnected from the mining extraction site and from the center of the municipality. The only connection to the extraction site was and still is the Koolmijnlaan. [1] These big industries as the coal extraction, sand extraction, massive industrial investments in manufacturing and new techniques such as the Ford and the Philips accelerated a ‘shock and wave’ urbanization. This caused a sudden enormous demographic growth for the region, altering the environment and the landscape radically. [2] 1 ‘ons Mijnverleden’ (http://www.cosimo.be/onsmijnverleden/node/423) 2 Marin, J.; ‘central limburg’s regenerative landscape: a laboratory for resource urbanism’ (2016)

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1948 The Grote Baan

The housing facilities of the mine workers at Meulenberg

In a timespan of merely 17 years, the number of inhabitants of houthalen trippled.

22000

21.276

20000 18000

A newspaper article of ‘het belang van limburg’ from 1948, addressing the local problematics relating the demographic 11.472 boom and lack in housing of that time.

Within a timespan of 17 years, the number of inhabitants of houthalen trippled. This due to new work facilities and economic benefits of the mines. This modernisation is in immense contrast with the settlement of the time.

16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000

2.759

2000 0

1846

1900

1961

Graph based on information from demographic 2000 2016 growht from the website of Houthalen-Helchteren.

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

37

den. De mensen hoeven het niet alleen voor te doen. Zo is het de bedoeling dat je geld out dat geoogst wordt aan je houtkant. De Knotwilg of knoteik? nten moeten dus maatschappelijk en econoUntil the 1960’s the present small scale hedgerow-rich cultural rden. Natuur was vroeger een bijproduct van Knoteiken staan vaak in terug in houtkanten. Knotwilgen vind landscape of the Campine was widespread. The region until then was activiteit. Nu moet de natuur helaas vaak wijknown for its typical singing bird hummingbird community.

Since je eerder als een rij solitaire bomen. Ook dat is te verklaren sche activiteit. Het kan dus anders, en daar Op deze gravure uit 1725 zie je hoe je een houtkant en het the 1960s, a very strong decline in biodiversity has been vanuitrecorded een economisch standpunt.

Knotwilgen dschap Lage Kempen aan werken. ecosysteem errond aanlegt. Een poel in het landschap hoort werden gein the Campine and Central Limburg. This decline corresponds tohoutkant. ook bij de Het is een bufferbekken voor het overplaatst rond natte weides en met de takkenoogst maakte men a period where the government demanded for more productivity tollige water. Zeker op hellingen is dat belangrijk. Je creëert Zefarwerdenenhoog denaar stam geknot, zodat het vee de nieuwe structuren, als hetop water beneden komt dan from the landscape and the long-term stable land usemanden. changed kun je dat niet tegenhouden.

Vandaar moet het water opgejonge scheuten niet kon oppeuzelen. reaching. By upscaling and intensifying the agriculture thevangen original worden in de hoeken van je perceel. vind je, samen met de andere bomen en struiken uit landscape disappeared together with the associatedKnoteiken biodiversity.

From the 1970’s, when the agriculture shifted towards intensiverond akkers. De bomen werden gebruikt als windde houtkant, cattle breeding, mais- and soil culture; The typical grainscherm, and beetroot om de gewassen beter te laten groeien. Elke boom had fields disappeared. Because of this tendency the rest population zijn eigen was functie! even further affected. One example of the decreasing biodiversity is the Ortolaan bird species. The decrease started in the 30’s with the reconversion of the grain fields. After 1980 only a small amount of couples were still breeding and only shortly after 1992 the Ortolaan birds were completely extinct.

gravure uit 1725 zie je hoe je een houtkant en het eem errond aanlegt.

Eennatuur poel inenhetBos landschap hoort agentschap de houtkant. Het is een bufferbekken voor het overwater. Zeker op hellingen is dat belangrijk. Je creëert structuren, en als het water naar beneden komt dan at niet tegenhouden. Vandaar moet het water opgeworden in de hoeken van je perceel.

de houtkant, ron scherm, om de g zijn eigen funct

V roe g e r e n nu PAST

Knoteiken

ge r e n n u dus prima geschikt voor dakgebinten.

Vandaag: De de grond en daardoor vo

Vroeger: De houtkant vormde een scherm vanaf de grond tot enkele meters hoogte.

TODAY

11

Hedgerows have been part of our historical cultural landscape, maintaining a rich biodiversity.

The original use of hedgerows was to use as windprotection, and natural bordering of fields for cattle. The hedgerows where full and low to the grownd. Today with lack of maintenance they have grown in to fbi trees. Pictures retrieved from RLLK, ‘Praktische gids: beheer van houtkanten en knotbomen’.

38vormde een scherm BIOMASSING : De houtkant vanafCENTRAL de grondLIMBURG tot enkele meters hoogte.

Vandaag: De houtkant is bijna een bomenrij geworden, met kale stammen aan de grond en dichte begroeiing pas op vier meter hoogte. De ‘scherm’functie valt daardoor voor een stuk weg.

Ortolaan

The ‘Ortolaan’ is one of the species that have become extinct in the area due to the invasive agricultural landscape and the lack in maintenance of hedgerows.

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

39

During the stagnation and the decline of the mining industry in the second half of the twentieth century, big manufacturing industries became the main economic activity. Industries such as the car industry with Ford Genk and the Philips in Hasselt.

It were these massive waves of investment in the 20th century, related to the coal mining, the industrialisation and the motorways, that are on the basis of today’s urban dispersal. de meulder, Bruno, nolf, christiaan

This map shows Central Limburg in 1887. Where the colonization of the plateau with pine forests is evident. This map uses the base of Studio Campine 2015, MaHS and MaUSP, Kuleuven. agricultural fields afforestation

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

2001

3000 jobs are cut.

5.000 jobs were cut 2002

increasing unemployment in Limburg by

29%

In Limburg we have been focussed on several big industries after the closing of the mines.

However the region still got fully organised around these single industries. This is why it became a regional catastrophy when Ford genk and the Philips factory closed. Not only these factories closed but also a local economy build around them went bancrupt. In total causing a dramatic 5.000 jobs that where cut in the factories alone.

Articles retrieved from ‘Jubileumboek: 125 jaar het belang van limburg’.

InterpretIng landscape occupatIon

41

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TOdAY’S ChALLENGES S o cio-e conomic a l cha l l enges C l ash of S c a les: The Grote B aan Ag r ic u lture E colog y Pl anning Fr ame work Sh if t ing systems

43

SOCIO-ECONOMICAL CHALLENGES Houthalen-Helchteren contains some locations with more socioeconomical challenges than others. It was one of the heritages of the mining industry. With the coming of all these foreign workers, the mining cité Meulenberg was built. However, completely detached from the center of the municipality or even the mining site. This until today has caused a sense of social segregation. 86% of the population of Meulenberg is from foreign origin and there is an unemployment rate of 35,2% [1]. This feeling of an ‘otherness’ is also reflected in the bad state of some social housing projects. As the urban environment also stigmatises its inhabitants.

1 Marin J., Motti M., et. al. (2016). atelier # 1. in, Het Kolenspoor getest.

A CLASH OF SCALES - Grote baan

An other major issue for Houthalen-Helchteren is the Grote Baan.

This road infrastructure has evolved from a trading route into a ‘steenweg’ with the allure of being a highway.

It is a regional road that since the 90’s has to deal with the same amount of traffic passing, as on the E314. Putting pressure on the centers of the municipality of HH. This road is a passing through the region, to go as fast as possible from north to south, while the logic of moving through HH is more a movement from East to West. As perceived as a dangerous crossing point, inhabitants tend to reach for the car faster, and are often afraid to send their children to school by bike.

The functions around this road are a mix of local and regional scale.

Where the Grote baan passes through the center of Houthalen you can find a mix of housing and small-scale and local shops, with great numbers of vacancy and urban decay. This last one as a result of the year long uncertainty around a solution for this road.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Map retrieved from Marin J., Motti M., et. al. (2016). atelier # 1. in, Het Kolenspoor getest.

Challenges

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1

THe norTH souTH - a history of congestion on the grote Baan

2 3 4 5 6

The grote baan is satturated for a first time. Two additional lanes are added.

implementation of the e314 highway

1961 The ‘steenweg’ gets its

first layer of asphalt and its current name: De Grote Baan.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

1968 Houses are being expropriated allong the Grote Baan for this extension.

1971 Houthalen becomes the regional traffic interchange.

a new regional road is already implemented from Hechtel in the direction of eindhoven.

a small industrial site was expropriated in preparation for the new road.

a Bypass?

HH anticipated to the coming of this new road by implementing a new industrial site in its proximity.

a Bypass? a Tunnel?

The shift of the bypass or the tunnel has left europark as an enclave, only accessible by passing through the local tissue.

21st Century 1990’s The Grote Baan has to deal with a traffic flow equal to the highway. The search for a sollution on policy level begins.

Anno today allot of planning is happening, but no decisions are made. Will it be a bypass or will it be a tunnel? Every option on the table today encounters resistance. For the past 40 years the problem only increased, the Grote Baan cuts like a highway through the local tissue. Causing vacancy not only along the Grote Baan, but also in the centres. Creating collateral damage as Europark allong the planning discourse.

Challenges

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

This is what this planning discourse has led to. A clash of the regional saturated road with in the backdrop the housing with small scale shops on the ground floor looking over it. In the weekend the Grote baan right outside of the center of Houthalen becomes a dumping site for cargo of trucks. As this is the first thing you see entering Houthalen from the Highway, it clashes with the sustainable circular image Houthalen wants to radiate.

Challenges

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50

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

vACANCY Challenges

51

The touristical bycicle network crosses one of the main acces roads to enter Europark. This road of a local structure is highly used by trucks and cars, creating dangeres situations with bikers trying to get to the other side.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

The koolmijnlaan.

Challenges

53

AGRICULTURE

Today the original settlements have grown into villages of about 30.000 inhabitants. These villages are located on the historical fertile agricultural lands at the edge of the plateau. Leaving a dubious situation where the main agricultural economy of Limburg is happening on the poorest soils of Flanders. The poor sandy soils of the Campine. The campine became a testsite for a modernized agriculture, however these tests brought an overall imbalance in the landscape, the agriculture and the ecology.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

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Both maps are drawn by the author, based on gis information of the situation today and the Ferraris map reflecting on the situation in 1777.

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Agricultural fields 2017 Agricultural fields 1777

Wet Meadow 1777 Challenges

55

We are dealing today with a invasive agriculture that has led to upscaling and intensification of landuse. Putting a pressure on the local ecological diversity. Trying to minimise crop residues, leading to a shortage in food supply for typical field bird species.

Due to strong fertilization of the fields, the valleys of the creek got highly contaminated. This especially in the watershed of the Demer and the Dommel with its steep topography at the edge of the plateau.

The ground water is extra vulnerable for pollution as the sandy soils lack in buffering capacity.

Overige gewassen

Other crops

Hennep vlas hennep vegetables, herbeskruiden groenten

sierpla aardappelen, suikerbiete Potatoes, beetroots

Overige gewassen Fodder crops voedergewassen vlas hennep Cereal granen groenten kruiden sierplanten mais Corn aardappelen, suikerbieten Meadow grasland voedergewassen fruitandnoten Fruits nuts granen

Hedgerow hedgerow Clean water zeer zuiver water heavy polluted waterstre Heavy polluted water Polluted water Polluted water streams

mais grasland fruit noten UPSCALING & INTENSIFICATION

It is an agricultural landscape mainly based on grasslands and mais fields. Lacking in a herbes rich crop biodiversity, containing to little food for the surrounding birds.

The lack in maintenance of the hedgerows throughout the years have decreased their biodiversity.

Section AA’ 56

h z h P

Fertilizer is washed of and directed into the creeks, conta minat ing these ecological valleys.

0

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A’ A

WATER BASIN OF THE DEMER

WATER BASIN OF THE DOMMEL

57

The ditches are used to drain the water as fast as possible in the more wet periods of the year. Leading to a decrease of the watertable and no waterbuffering to overcome dry summers. This led to an overall dryer soil, nefast for its neighboring landscapes as the heath.

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BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Challenges

59

The lack of biodiversity in the agricultural landscape due to the monoculture of grasslands and mais crops have decreased the ecological diversity of species linked to this landscape. It now lacks in herbs, and together with the dry-ness of the fields due to the ditches, causing a decrease of insects, the main food for agricultural related birds.

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Challenges

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ZwarTe BeeK 8308 ha 19 protected habitats 22 protected animalspecies

Peer 6 protected animal species

MangelBeeK 3768 ha 7 protected animal species

‘ViJVergeBied Midden liMBurg 5095 ha

ECOLOGICAL DIvERSITY The landscape around Houthalen-Helchteren is part of the valuable Natura 2000 protected landscapes. The framework of Natura 2000 imposes a policy frame in order to protect and extend species and their habitats. Due to the overwhelming of the landscape in the last decades it is more than necessary to start and improve the quality of the surrounding ecology. Altough this framework exists, today ecology still doesn’t ad up when meeting the economical interests of the agricultural or industrial demands.

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Bird guidelines Challenges

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Need better quality heath and a more diverse agricultural landscape rich of herbs.

Grauwe kiekendief (circus pygargies)

Need an enforcement of the hedgerow structure on the agricultural landscape of Peer

HEATH LANDSCAPE

Nachtzwaluw Boomleeuwerik Gevlekte witsnuitlibel

WET HEAT AND PEAT

For the military domains and the heath landscape it is foremost the gladde Slang who needs the most care. This species is endangered and needs an extention of its habitat, which is translated into an ecological corridor by the Flemish Governement.

Gladde slang

PUDDLES AND SWAMPS

In Peer is the combination of heath and arable land, but also of the meadows in the upper streams of the valley, which make this a historically valuable bird kingdom. Today’s invasive agriculture means that this bird richness is disappearing. The poor quality of the landscape is a direct consequence of the constant drainage of water.

Grauwe klauwier

FOREST/WATER AND HEATH

Each Natura 2000 area houses their specific types of animals depending on the type of landscape. Birds seek the rest of the military domain, but breed on the wet meadows in the agricultural area. The agricultural area provides them with enough food for them and their chicks, this is the case for the Grauwe Kiekendief.

The Grauwe Kiekendief is one of the endangered species that enjoy the combination of open, peaceful heathlands in proximity of the moist, nutritious meadows along the streams that once caused the numerous breeding cases. Today due to the harsh agricultural landscape this situation is different.

Ortolaan

Heikikker Gentiaanblauwtje Blauwborst Roerdomp Woudaap Knoflookpad Laatvlieger Rosse Vleermuis Ruige Vleermuis Ijsvogel

Need an extension of their habitat. They need to migrate and diversify their breeding.

Ask for very good quality heath and an ecological corridor connecting the two Gladde slang (coronella austriaca) military domains.

Blauwe kiekendief Grauwe kiekendief

In need of good quality ‘vennen’ in order to breed.

Knoflookpad (pelobates fuscus)

FOREST

Korhoen Zwarte specht Wespendief Duinpieper

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Kwartelkoning

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Both maps are drawn by the author, based on gis information.

Challenges

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1 2 3

THe ecological corridor - an ecological compromise

4 The ecological corridor is another project that has known a bumpy road. Some believe that it was brought to live to serve as 5 a nature compensation for the North South Axis. An attempt to 6 try and accelerate the approval and to offer a reconciliation to the nature associations who repeatedly object to this project. It was the Flemish governemnt that ultimately decided it should be implemented what so ever. However questions are raising within the departement of Omgeving if this corridor would work and if this really is the ideal location. With the information given by RLLK it became very clear that this project within the borders given by the Flemish Government, this corridor would never meet the requirements to become a true ecological corridor.

The flemish administration decided on the execution of the ecological corridor in the ghastly shape as presented.

However it remains ‘unclear’ for the different partners on flemish level, who is going to pay for this project. as it was not a priority of any department to execute this corridor but a question of the government.

€?

due to the bottlenecks within this plan the ecological corridor in this shape and location is doomed to fail.

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corridor as decided by the flemish government, consisting of different bottlenecks.

Map is drawn by the author for a study for the department of omgeving in 2016 around the credibility of the ecological corridor as drawn by the flemish government.

Challenges

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68

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

BOTTLENECKS FOR THIS CORRIDOR ACCORDING TO THE FLEMISH GOvERNMENT

Housing For an optimal functioning of the corridor, build tissue on itself is not a dealbreaker. However when pets like dogs are involved, the story changes. Dogs set of a certain smell, which keep some animals from the heath away.

With this knowledge, it is necessary for the corridor that if they go through housing that the corridor is taken much wider.

2X Corridor with harsh borders

¤¤¤

X Corridor with soft edges

¤

Borders The actual border of the corridor is one of the biggest bottlenecks. This border at some locations is to small if you want to create the best possible passage for the gladde slang (min 75m).

Additional to this, the ground-rule for creating the borders of a corridor goes that harsh borders need twice the width of a corridor with soft borders.

Infrastructional barriers such as roads and rivers.

The conversion of agricultural fields into heath

Omgeplagde vruchtbare grond

Omgeplagde vruchtbare grond

Onverweerd moedermateriaal: Dekzand

Onverweerd moedermateriaal: Dekzand

One of the biggest problems is the demand of the gladde slang for the best quality heath. If this goal is not reached, the corridor would be for nothing.

This being said, the conversion of agricultural land into good quality heath is almost impossible. Heath exists of a special podzol soil. Formed throughout the ages of time. This type of soil is practically not possible to imitate if no remnants of this soil are left.

The pine forests and some grass lands can still have some of these remnants.

Verteerde en onverteerde plantenresten Humusrijke Zone Uitgeloogde Zone Zone aangerijkt met Humus Zone aangerijkt met ijzeroxide

Onverweerd moedermateriaal: Dekzand

With all these constraints one can say that if the corridor would be executed in this manner, it would fail in its basic intent; the migration of animals.

Challenges

69

1

PLANNING POLICY The issues mentioned on HouthalenHelchteren are not new. It is well known that these issues need to be solved and today we do it in a top down manner where it mainly are Flemish representatives who defends the ‘interest’ of the local population on a policy level. The main projects concerning a better accessibility of the north part of Limburg, the ecology of the landscape and agricultural productivity are the project of the north south axis, the ecological corridor and the AGNAS process happening on the agricultural fields of Peer. The AGNAS process of Peer wants to reaffirm an agricultural area. This area is for a big part part of the Natura 2000 guidelines.

This means that the project now mainly focusses on the protection of the rich ecology that is present, cutting through the productive landscape with its creeks and green spring valleys. However on the table it is the same discussion over and over; “We only agree on the number of ha in the decided policy for protection of the present ecology, and not an inch more.”

The way we handle these projects with the current policy framework has lifted itself to such a level of complicity that the projects on their own are stripped down to the basic problem they want to solve. They have been

2

diverted into seperate monotonous fields.

There is no crossing boundaries or combining different projects for the common good of the land. The north south axis is appropriated by the department of AWV, to create a road. But not to look further at what this connection might be and how they could maybe benefit if an ecological insight would be part of the project from the beginning. The ecological corridor is positioned/stuffed between the north south and the AGNAS frame, on a nonIdeal location. Where rationally the corridor cannot be build.

All these autonomous fields that have formed during our history can also be found back on this level. We try to solve every discipline within its own discipline, without having proper communication between the departments. It is done with the best intention for that specific department, and an idea that purifying the project will make them be executed in the fastest manner. However this make them work against each other and become processes that are floating for around 10 to 20 years, because they miss important opportunities of change.

3 1 Noord Zuid connection 4 2 5 AGNAS RUP Peer 3 Ecological Corridor 6 4 Punctual improvements 5

patching the wound

6

# HA IN DECIDED POLICY & not an inch more NATURE VS AGRICULTURE

NATURA2000 WHO WILL PAY? BOTTLENECKS NATURE VS AGRICULTURE

THE BYPASS??

OR THE TUNNEL? NOT INTEGRATED APPROACH 40 YEARS

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Map is drawn by the author, based on original project plans of the flemish governent.

Challenges

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1777 | a socio ecological landscape

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

As stated by Belanger; “Historically, mono-functional approaches to the design of infrastructures have typically segregated the basic provisions of water, waste, transport, food and energy into separate, unrelated departments. At large regional scales, bureaucratic separation of infrastructural services is proving costly and Ineffective” This has become very clear in the historical reading. It is in the biomass economy that lies the potential to shift the systems back into an integrated approach, combining different disciplines and fields of knowledge for an improved spatial structuring of Houthalen-Helchteren, with an embeddedness of today’s challenges.

Belanger, Pierre ‘landscape infrastructure; urbanism Beyond engineering’

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1964 | Overwhelming the landscape

2040 | A socia-ecological structuring based on the biomass economy.

Challenges

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VALORIZING BIOMASS wASTE R el e v ant a c tors & st a kehol d ers Biomass Biomass C hain Har vest abl e L ands c ap es Dr y ing and weig hing The prov ide d opp or tunit y

75

2012

2013-2015

REGIONAAL LANDSCHAP

LAGE

KEMPEN

RLLK

‘WOODY BIOMASS FOR ENERGY IN LIMBURG’

TWECOM TRANSNATIONAL PROJECT

From October 2010 until September 2012 a project ’Limburgs green for a green economy’ was executed.

This was a study for the potential of woody biomass for renewable energy in Limburg. It was a collaboration between MIG bvba, Bionerga nv and Inverde with financial support of the Environment and energy technology innovation platform (MIP2-programme), and can be linked to the European Ambition 20/20/20 to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions with 20% by 2020. The outcome of the study was an overall positive reaction of integrating woody biomass by landscape maintenance in the energy production cycle in Limburg.

This was shown through different case studies al round Limburg that where included in the written report of this study ‘Houtige biomassa voor energie in Limburg’.

From januari 2013 until december 2015 a pilot trasnational project was set up to study the possibilities of short chain valorization of biomass from landscape elements. This project was named TWECOM and stands for “Toward Eco-Energetic Communities”.

The project was funded by the Interreg IVB NWE program. It aimed at demonstrating the economical feasability of this valorization together with the beneficial aspects it had on the current ecological, cultural and social functions of these landscape elements. This project came to existence together with leading partner RLLK and six partners from other countries, each contributing their own expertise and knowledge. The pilot project in Bocholt has proven that the economical valorization of hedgerows is possible.

And not only this, but this cyclic maintenance is also improving the ecological value of these elements.

wouters, rob, gybels ruben, (2012) ‘Houtige biomassa voor energie in limburg’, project MiP2 & Vlaamse overheid.

[www.twecom.eu]

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RELEvANT ACTORS & STAKEHOLDERS This topic has been part of studies in Limburg throughout the years.

It has built a wide foundation of knowledge and collaborations between experts and local stakeholders. It has resulted in many successful case studies on the ground. This knowledge is widely used in this thesis and forms the foundation of the technical requirements for building a biomass economy based on landscape maintenance.

2014

2017

BIOMASS hUB

REGIONAAL LANDSCHAP

LAGE

KEMPEN

RLLK

Europark

THE DIPLA TOOL

THE BIOMASS HUB

The DIPLA tool (‘Digital platform Landscape’) is an online GIS based tool designed in 2014 by Raf Gorissen, Bart Paessen and Dirk Ulenears. During the TWECOM project, on which Bart Paesen took part within RLLK, it became clear that in order for the maintenance of hedgerows to become sustainable, they needed a tool for efficient maintenance planning. This tool gives the opportunity to map, analyze and plan the maintenance of hedgerows for the upcoming years. It provides information on the ideal hedgerow, its features and location. It calculates the expected amount of biomass that is available in the landscape, and registers the actual harvested amount. For participating municipalities and stakeholders the application provides a base that can improve the quality and efficiency of the harvesting process and calculate the cost and benefits of their harvest activity. They are currently working on an extension for the tool with a forest module.

The municipality of Houthalen-Helchteren understands this lost potential of biomass and have worked together with RLLK towards obtaining a subsidy for the implementation of a biomass hub. This hub will work as a central gathering place for the biomass that is harvested in the area. Within this hub the biomass can be dried, weighed, sifted, and processed to a raw material for the wood industry or for energy. The drying can happen with residual heat from one of the surrounding industrial activities, or in open air. The hub will be located at Europark. information retrieved from the Municipality of HH and the flemisch spatial development department.

[www.profisi.eu]

BIOmass BasIcs

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BIOMASS bahy-oh-mas; noun; 1. Energy, organic matter, especially plant matter, that can be converted to fuel and is therefore regarded as a potential energy source; 2. Ecology: the amount of living matter in a given habitat, expressed either as the weight of organisms per unit area or as the volume oforganisms per unit volume of habitat.

The organogram shows some numbers that where the outcome for the Twecom project case study in Bocholt.

This gives us a general understanding of how much woodchips are needed for the heating of a building all year round. And this amount of woodchips translates itself in additional transportation flows. drawing made by author, based on infromation from different studies. [www.twecom.eu] 78

CO2 EMISSION (TONNE/YEAR) Wood chips Pellets Fuel oil Natural gas 0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Net CO2 emissions, on the full fuel life cycle at annual energy consumption rate of 27000 kWh (this is equal to the heat demand for a liveable surface of 220m2)

CO2

kWh/kg

190

6

TON dried woodchips per year

Pellets 5.0 kWh/kg 8%

5 4 3

5 community buildings

Biomass basin 70 m3

start of heat network Wood logs 4.3 kWh/kg 18% Dry wood chips 3.6 kWh/kg 25%

Ashes Wet wood chips: 1.9 kWh/kg 55%

2 1

=

0 0

10

4 km hedgerows

20

30

40

50

60 % Moisture content

Impact of the moisture content on the value in calories of woody biomass.

=

570 m3 of woodchips

LOAD CAPACITY 6 - 30 m3 of woodchips (10-15 tonne) 30 - 40 m3 of woodchips (19 tonne) 60 - 80 m3 of woodchips (38 tonne) 70 - 100 m3 of woodchips (40 tonne) 79

THE BIOMASS CHAIN When summarizing the studies mentioned before, an ‘ideal’ technical biomass chain for the beginning of this new economy can be drawn. This chain implements different crucial stages. It goes from the demand of biomass to the supply of biomass through harvesting, drying, weighing and selling the raw material.

The biomass chaine consists of 4 basic components which form the basic underlayer for the implementation of a new biomass economy. The chain starts with the varied landscape that holds a biomass potential around Houthalen-Helchteren. According to the type of biomass that is harvested it needs to by dried. This drying can happen on site, by using a special conainer, or by the smallest amount of residual heat from surrounding farms, industries,...

Next the biomass is transferred to the nearest wheighing bridge so one can capture the quantity of the harvested raw material.

The quantification makes it possible to arange a price and that the biomass can be brought to the customer. Directly or by passing by the biomasshub. This chain makes it possible to develop a local biomass economy from the regional landscape, as long as the total distance from harvesting to the customer stays below 20 km.

Staying within this 20 km radius, this operation is CO2 neutral.

Each part of the chain will be further elaborated in this chapter.

In order to get this biomass economy running and productive the harvested biomass is used for energy production. In todays economy the investment of a heating installation, running on biomass, is expensive, but based on the present fuel prizes, this cost can be recovered within 3 years time.

LOCAL COLLABORATIONS AGRO MANAGEMENT GROUP Maintenance by Farmers, who have gathered themselves in a Agro management group. In these groups they are supported by ECO2 to work together on agrarian landscaping, nature, soil and water management on a landscape level. By doing so also providing themselves with new economical opportunities. Today these groups are mainly used for hedgerow maintenance.

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PROvIDING MACHINERY This organization has invested in a complete set of harvest machinery to optimize the harvest of hedgerows in Bocholt for the pilot project of TWECOM. The machinery can be used by partners anywhere in the province of Limburg. vzw BOSGROEP Limburg This association provides all kinds of advice and support for forest owners, both private and public. The group provides free and practical assistance for managing a forest and functions as the intermediary between governments, owners and users.

MUNICIPALITY Y

inventarisation biomass potential

MUNICIPALITY X

Knowledge center

by Inverde

Contracter REGIONAAL LANDSCHAP

DIPLA

LAGE

KEMPEN

A # demand for biomass

Regionaal Landschap Lage Kempen

Limburg Local Farmers

HARVESTING RESOURCES

inventarisation biomass potential mixed Forest

heath

hedgerow

Local community

forested wetland FUTURE BIOMASSHUB Storage Market

DRYING

residual heat industry

serre

heat produced by livestock

Pruning waste

on site

Quantifying the amount of biomass

Industry

Recycle park

wood for manufacturing Industry

wood chips for energy production BIOmass BasIcs

81

HARvESTABLE LANDSCAPES Within Central Limburg we can distinguish four types of harvestable landscapes for biomass. The mixed forest, the forested wetland, the hedgerows and the heath. Each of these landscapes is looked at separately because of the various harvesting conditions; they each require specific maintenance techniques, machinery and knowledge of the landscapes biodiversity. With wet soils different machines are needed than with dry soils or for harvesting a hedgerow different tools are used than for maintaining a dense forest.

These four types of landscape can have different outcomes in biomass type depending on the quality of the wood. From heath, sods are harvested that can serve as soil improver for the fields.

From the other, wood material is harvested. This can be cut into wood logs, or shredded in wood chips depending on the quality. In most occasions the harvesting and shredding occurs simultaneously as this is more beneficial for transport.

deciduous forest Mixed forest Pine forest Heath Hedgerows watercourse flood areas Plot structure

sods (‘plagsel’)

wood logs

wood chips FOREST

HEATH

HEDGEROW

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BIOmass BasIcs

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Forest In a forest different raw materials are harvested from different parts of the forest. You have the wood coming from the edge of the forest, branch- en crown wood and spruce or stamina. The first one is coming from the zone between the open landscape and the forest. It mostly contains bushy vegetation and trees with many side branches. The trunks of the trees are usually bent in their competition for sunlight, resulting in wood logs of less quality. It has no place in the market of high quality applications.

This part houses the richest biodiversity of the forest. As not all plants grow in the same growth pattern, it is important to maintain this landscape element regularly.

Branch- and crown wood are the products resulting from thinning out the forest and by chopping trees. This wood as well as spruce will be used as a raw material before being qualified as biomass fuel, as this wood is of to high quality to be immediately used as biomass.

In dense forest they mainly use horses to drag the chopped trees out of the forest. In this manner they don’t harm the forest by using big machines. This is the same for forested wetlands and for mixed forests. However if machines are used, they use small and light machines, in order to not harm the soil density.

Wetland forest The wetland forest divers from a mixed forest as they need delicate care while harvesting. An infrastructural implementation is needed to have a hard surface for the machines to maneuver on. Decidious forest mainly belong to these wetland forest. These are the forest structuring the valleys of the plateau, in flood prone areas.

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drawn by author, based on infromation from gis and the regional plan of flanders. Picture is taken by the author.

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deciduous forest

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Pine forest 85

Heath The remaining heath landscapes that we can see on the map are located on military domains. These are the few remains of the original landscape that typed the plateau before 1900. Their belonging to the military has preserved the heath from becoming part of the urbanized chaos and prevented them from being afforestated as the military needed the openness for their military exercises [1]. It is a cultural landscape that needs to be drained of nutrients in order to keep it heath. If not, pine trees and shrugs will colonize these landscapes and fertilize the soil, atmospheric nitrogen deposition will then cause a grassing of the heath, and will take over the landscape. Two types of

biomass can be harvested from these heath landscapes. On the one hand wood that is removed in the form of small birches, bushes and other sporadic growing species, and on the other hand sods, organic fraction from chopper activities. These removals of nutrients need to take place periodically in order to preserve a good quality heath and its precious biodiversity.

These sods can be deposited as a peat replacement in potting or as soil improver; before or after composting. So by heat recovery, an organic fraction is released that has promising possibilities to be put to sale as peat replacement [2].

[1] sterckx, g., de Blust, g. ‘Heide in de vuurlinie’ [2] Investigated by the ANC’s KOBE research and the institute for agriculture and fisheries research (ILVO)

wiTH TradiTional MainTenance

‘struikhei’

wiTHouT MainTenance

grow PHase 6-15 years

foresT

Burning off

Burning off Burning off and chopping trees Pioneer PHase 0-6 years

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‘dophei’

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drawn by author, based on infromation from gis and the regional plan of flanders. Picture is taken by the author.

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Heath

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Military domain BIOmass BasIcs

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Hedgerows Hedgerows for centuries have been part of the typical agricultural landscape. Originally planted as wind protection, and for fuel. In Central Limburg these hedgerows mainly consist of oak, beech, els and willow, maintaining a rich biodiversity of species from insects to birds.

The condition of harvesting biomass from hedgerows differs heavily from harvesting biomass in a forest. Hedgerows had to deal with allot of prejudice related to biomass. It was understood that hedgerows had to little means to produce quality wood. A tree in a hedgerow branches much more than general trees in forest formation. Due to this it is very difficult to obtain a long, straight and branch-free tree stem.

But also perceived as difficult as it is not allowed to leave the shreds in the hedgerow. However these conditions have made

it able that the full tree today is shredded at once and make it a valuable biomass product.

Hedgerows also function as important ecological corridors.

Because of this, the harvesting needs to happen in phases and over short distances. This cyclic harvesting of the hedgerows creates new opportunities for different kind of vegetation, which is in favor of the biodiversity. These constraints ask for the harvesting of different hedgerows at the same time to make the process economically interesting and can increase the efficiency significantly. Within the ‘Twecom’ program an Agro management group was formed between different farmers in order to share knowledge, and to harvest in the most efficient manner.

= 1,5 km hedgerow

PLANTING

aBc eco2. ‘energieke houtkanten, de logistiek’

1m

15.000L OIL FUEL

1m

PHASING rejuvenate the existing hedgerow

extermination of foreign species

Cyclic harvesting in a rotation of 8 - 10 years.

year 1 100-300m/year

Harvesting happens during the winter. Leafs and sand contaminate the quality of the biomass.

year 2

year 3 88

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20 - 40 m

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WINTER OAK Quercus Petraea

14 - 30 m

Deciduous. Blooms late in spring. Thrives on moderately acidic soil. Very good quality wood.

ROUGH BEECH Betula Pendula

10 m

15 - 25 m

Deciduous, blossoms around april - may.

Thrives on light dry soil.

BLACK ELS Alnus Glutinosa Deciduous, in winter this tree is a rich source of foor. In the early days clogs were made of this wood.

KAT WILG Salix Viminalis Deciduous.

drawn by author, based on infromation from gis. illustrations of the trees coming from the book “compact gids Bomen”, Kosmos uitgevers (2011).

Hedgerow

Agricultural crops BIOmass BasIcs

Fields 89

MACHINES AND TECHNIQUES Each type of landscape requires a different type of harvester.

It depends on the soil condition, on the density of the trees and on the raw material that is wanted as output. The main infrastructure needed for these machines is a road, paved or unpaved, with a width of min 3m and a vegetation free buffer on each side of 1m. These machines are very expensive in purchase. Taking into account the limited use of the machines, they are often bought by an organization that rents them all over Flanders.

Most pictures come from: aBc eco2. ‘energieke houtkanten, de logistiek’

HORSE POWER

in large dense forests horses are used for the transport of the trunks. This because larger and heavier machines would compress the soil changing the soil density and water table.

3m

1m

© ABC ECO2

1m

ExCAvATOR

The sods is removed from the soil to allow the heath to grow on a poor sandy soil. The sods is used as fertilizer elsewhere.

Het machinaal oogsten van houtkanten in Bocholt.

WHOLE STEM HARvESTER

The shredding of the wood happens axial to the longitudinal axis and on a rotating drum. This way larger trunks can be shredded more quickly due to the inceased power. The product of these type of shredders is more useful for composting than for burning. Picure retrieved from Twecom.

2. BOS VERSUS HOUTKANT

Houtkanten zijn lange tijd niet beschouwd als percelen voor houtproductie. Dit is mede te verklaren doordat er enkele specifieke aandachtspunten zijn.

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Er zijn weinig mogelijkheden om kwaliteitshout te produceren: de bomen vertakken veel sterker dan in bosverband waardoor het zeer moeilijk is om

Houtkanten hebben een belangrijke ecologische verbindingsfunctie. Indien er enkel individuele houtkanten bekeken worden, wordt vaak de voorwaarde opgelegd om gefaseerd (bv. maximum 1/4de van een houtkant) en in korte trajecten (maximum 100 lopende meter) het hakhoutbeheer uit te voeren.

Hierdoor is er per eigenaar en per jaar maar een

worden.

Een velkop met stabilisatiefunctie kan de bomen ook al over een (zeer) korte afstand naar een andere locatie brengen. Dit heeft echter aanzienlijke efficiëntieverliezen (en bijgevolg kostprijsstijging) tot gevolg.

Waar dit mogelijk is kan het wel zeer interessant zijn om het takhout eerst te laten drogen alvorens te hakselen, zie ook verderop in het hoofdstuk ‘stockage en droging’.

Er bestaan veel verschillende technieken om takken en bomen te verhakselen, ieder met een DRUM SHREDDER ander soort houtsnippers als resultaat. Het is zeer The shredding of the wood happens axial to the longitudinal axis and on a rotating drum.

This larger trunks shredded more belangrijk om teway zorgen dat can de be kwaliteit vanquickly de due to the inceased power. The product of these type of shredders is more useful for composting for burning. Picure retrieved from Twecom. snippers en dethan vereisten van de houtsnipperketel op elkaar zijn afgestemd.

Bij de keuze van een gepaste machine zijn er een aantal aandachtpunten: • Manier van hakselen (shredder, messenschijf, trommel, …),

© ABC ECO2

3.3. HAKSELEN detail of the drum shredder Picure retrieved from Trommelhakselaar UfkesTwecom.

Greentec VC 942-13

Hierdoor kan er meer kracht uitgeoefend worden, en kunnen dikkere bomen met een hogere snelheid gehakseld worden.

agrobeheercentrum Eco2

MAIS SHREDDER with special harvesting head

This shredder is a combination of a tractor and an open truck where on the wood chips are blown (similar to the harvesting of mais). The small trunks are cut and shredded on site.The product of these type of shredders is used for something betetr than burning.

The wood chips are shredded and stored in a container. a container isuseful when there is little space or when there is little wood on one location.

However, emptying the bunker also requires time, so in some cases it is more interesting to shred directly in containers or carts and not use the bunker.

Picure retrieved from Twecom.

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5

DRYING

After the harvesting, the biomass collected in forms of shreds, need to be dried. The drying of the biomass plays a crucial role in the efficiency of the transport system. If the biomass is not dried until CO2 moisture, EMISSION (TONNE/YEAR) 30% than an added value in weight is carried, meaning that less biomass can be transported at once. So in order to keep the Wood chips transport and logistical network as cheap as possible, the biomass Pellets needs to be removed of excess fluids. Within the biomass chain, Fueldrying oil this can occur immediately on site, or along the route when Natural gas it is transported near industries with residual heat.

0 is not 1 only important 2 3 for transport 4 5 but also 6 for 7 This drying process the energy combustion of onthe biomass. wet wood a Net CO2 emissions, the full fuel life cycle atBurning annual energy consumption rate of has 27000 kWh equal thermal to the heat demand for a liveable surface 220m2) negative impact (this onisthe energy value ofofthe fuel, as the heat used to evaporate the moisture in the wood will be lost. This was tested within the Twecom project, as every 5% of moisture content in the wood will give a loss to a similar quantity of energy. If wood is combusted at 45% moisture content, 15% to 20% of the energy is lost to evaporate the water compared to burning dry wood [1].

8

9

10

[1] loosevelt, l., et.al. (2015) ‘green heat with small-scale wood combustion’, inagro

kWh/kg 6

Pellets 5.0 kWh/kg 8%

5 4

Wood logs 4.3 kWh/kg 18% Dry wood chips 3.6 kWh/kg 25%

3

Wet wood chips: 1.9 kWh/kg 55%

2 1 0 0

10

20

30

40

50

60 % Moisture content

Impact of the moisture content on the value in calories of woody biomass.

WEIGHING

After the drying of the biomass the true amount can be weighed.

This is important when the harvested biomass goes directly to the buyer. A correct valorization of this biomass can happen at that point. The biomass economy tries to feed of existing infrastructure as much as possible in order to keep the chain as cheap as possible.

In this sense there is a cooperation between Limburg.net and the biomass economy that they can use the infrastructure of the recycle parks for the weighing.

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D VENTILEREN

ok gedroogd worden met de ventilatie. Dit kan zowel latie via kanalen en roosters perforeerde koepels zoals

© ABC ECO2

warmtebronnen. Er zouden dan meerdere containers gelijktijdig kunnen gedroogd worden. Groot 3 different scenarios for drying the harvested biomass woodchips. The first voordeel van het containersysteem is dat het aantal one is with the use of the residual heat ‘behandelingen’ (laden en lossen) van de snippersat local farms. Through the pipe, the residual heat from the farm is released. verminderd, waardoor de kostprijs verlaagt. De drying the biomass deposited on top.

Picture by Twecom.eu

Proefopzet geforceerd drogen met restwarmte in sleufsilo.

de proefopzet: een sleufsilo met in het midden een luchtkanaal. Hier waren de snippers op 5 dagen volledig droog, zelfs tot minder dan 20% vocht. Er was geen droge stof verlies en geen schimmelvorThe second one is an container with a heating room underneath it. This ming. Er zijn geen relevante gegevens beschikbaar compartiment can be connected to pipes of residual heat of farms or over het stroomverbruik aangezien de ventilatoren industries and the airflow going through the compartiment dries the biomass in afgestemd waren op de hoeveelheid warmte die de the container. vergister dient af te voeren en niet op de relatief Picture by Twecom.eu kleine hoeveelheid snippers die diende gedroogd Proefopzet geforceerd drogen in droogcontainer. te worden. Nadeel van de hier gebruikte proefopzet was de relatief lange tijd nodig voor het vullen en container met droge snippers kan bijvoorbeeld leeghalen van de droogsilo, in verhouding tot de onmiddellijk geleverd worden bij de klant, of de benodigde droogtijd. In de toekomst voorzien we container met vers gehakselde snippers kan nieuwe proeven met een banddroger, waarmee het onmiddellijk aangekoppeld worden aan de droogindrogen veel efficiënter kan gebeuren. stallatie zonder opnieuw overladen.

Momenteel zijn nieuwe proeven bezig met het last scenario is that the harvested De investeringen in droogsystemen dienen afge- The biomass is left to dry on site. This will geforceerd drogentegen van snippers in een a long time drying and the drying wogen te worden het verlies aan droogdroge stof take cycle is not that trustworthy. This container aangesloten op de eenhoeveelheid pocketvergister. scenario is mainly used for woodlogs. bij natuurlijke droging en arbeid die De droogcontainer is gebouwd met dubbele Picture is taken by the author. nodig is om de snippers te laden eneen te lossen. vloer en lucht-aanvoermonden ingewerkt in de Een andere uitdaging is het opvolgen van het deuren.

Bij de Tot pocketvergister komt heel wat vochtgehalte. nu toe hebben we enkel instruminder warmte vrij, dus het drogen gaat trager menten gevonden om continu de temperatuur op dan bij de grootschalige vergistingsinstallatie, te volgen, maar niet om het vochtgehalte op te maar de droogcontainer kan aangesloten volgen. Zeker bij de korte (enevenzeer dure) droogtijden bij BIOmass BasIcs 93 worden op grootschalige vergisters of andere Proefopzet Inagro. Drogen onder afdak (bo geforceerd drogen is het nochtans belangrijk om © ABC ECO2

© ABC ECO2

ovenaan). De waterdamp p de top van de hoop, waar die ntact met de koudere lucht condensatie tot een minimum us belangrijk de oppervlakte ogelijk te houden. rgt er eveneens voor dat buiten worden gedroogd het oppervlak dat blootgesteld minimaal is ten opzichte van op en het water afkomstig e steile kanten afloopt en niet het aangeraden de hoop niet k je compostering in de hand. werkt goed, maar gaat met relatief hoge droge stof htgehalte van meer dan 30%, ddeld 3 - 5% aan droge stof ganse droogproces zijn droge % geen uitzondering. deze werkwijze zijn dat er vormen met negatieve tot gevolg en dat het vochthoop vaak weinig homogeen t kan een vochtgehalte van in een drietal maanden, maar eer dan zes maanden. In orming is het dragen van een sker aangeraden wanneer de eschept.

containers met geperforeerde vloer waarlangs de ventilatie plaatsvindt.

In Bocholt zijn proeven gedaan waarbij houtsnippers geforceerd geventileerd zijn met de restwarmte van een vergistingsinstallatie. Zie foto voor

den) en drogen met geforceerde ventilatie

OPPORTUNITIES IN HH

Opportunities for the implementation of the biomass chain in Houthalen lies within the extended network of the ‘Trage Wegen’. These paths are now already used for the maintenance of landscape, but they can become the basic network for the chain. In this way the biomass economy doesn’t put extra tension on the normal local roads and the already saturated supralocal and regional roads.

The second potential lies in the fact that for setting up this economy it is necessary to in first phase combust the harvested biomass to create economical stability. Pilot projects for this combustion can be find in public buildings and mainly schools. These buildings can be heated by small scale <300 kW installations which answers perfectly to the available local biomass production.

In a society where the biomass economy still is perceived as being unsustainable, schools are also the ideal location to start the education with the youngest around these industries.

But these schools also have the potential to become decentralized collection points of domestic pruning waste.

Which can be moved to the biomass hub when new woodchips for combustion are delivered.

Local roads Paved paths Unpaved paths Walking paths Locations with residual heating Schools Weighing Biomass hub 94

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SITE INTROdUCTION Europ ark

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EUROPARK??

Industrial site Forests Water Heath Wetland forest Big infrastructural network Waterways

It is an overall necessary exercise to study and question the position of industrial parks in our society and there embeddedness within the local tissue. For Europark it is clear that how the industrial park functions today can be questioned. The lack of identity and the opportunity of the upcoming biomass economy creates the ideal background for reeinventing this structure to become part of the circular economy.

Map and scheme created by author, based on information from gis and the publication of Poort genk.

EUROPARK

Hotspot for CLEANTECH and WASTE PROCESSING

HERMES

Hotspot for LOGISTICS

Hotspot for DESIGN

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Hotspot for TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY AND INNOvATION

5 km

Europark came to be as an anticipation from the municipality of Houthalen-Helchteren to the coming of the North-South connection back in the 80’s. The displacement of this industrial park is the result of the speculation process around this planning framework. Today it is an industrial zone that exists as an enclave between the natural and urban system, not connected to any main infrastructure lines and embedded in between valuable landscapes.

When we compare Europark with the other industrial zones in the neighborhood, it becomes very clear that Europark lacks in identity. Where the surrounding parks focus on a certain kind of industry as THOR park for example can be named the hotspot for technology, energy and innovation and Centrum Zuid the hotspot for Cleantech and waste processing leaves an overall questionmark at Europark.

EUROPARK

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Europark, industrial enclave

Mangelbeek valley

Europark is positioned on the edge of the campine plateau, in between the valley of the ecological valuable Mangelbeek and the small groenstraatbeek.

On the north, east and south side the industrial area is encapseled within a forest. And on the west side it touches the local urban fabric.

The displacement of the park near natura 2000 areas and in valuable nature makes us curious for the future position of this park in the biomass economy.

As this park is named the location for the biomass hub, what could be the potential of Europark to become a productive biomass park as well as a market place for biomass?

Not only can we question his position within the biomass economy, but in the overall energy question that is omni present. Belgium imports huge quantities of raw materials for energy production.

With the announced shortages and blackouts can we see not only the potential of local energy production within the biomass economy, but also in deep geothermal energy production. The map on the right shows Europark as an ideal location to withdraw energy deep geothermally.

valley of the Groenstraatbeek This map shows the topography of europark. it is positioned on the edge of the plateau (black is high, white is low). it is clear that from here water runs off towards the valleys of the creeks. as seen before, these creeks are contaminated. The main roads are drawn as a point of recognition. Map retrieved from gis.

This map shows the positive potential for europark when it comes to deep geothermal energy. Temperature of deep geothermal energy where europark is located has a potential of 100-125°c. Map retrieved from Marin J., Motti M., et. al. (2016). atelier # 1. in, Het Kolenspoor getest.

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E314

The map shows the clear disconnection of europark to the main roads, the grote Baan and the e314. it is encapsulated within the urban and natural landscape. drawn by author, based on information from gis.

EUROPARK

101

For the reconversion of Europark into a biomass labo industrial park, we have to look at the present potentials and present companies. In a first phase of the transformation it is important to recognize the empty lots, and the present wood industries. Such as different carpentry companies who can be used as local deputies for the high quality wood that is harvested.

In an industrial park without good mobility access the inflow and outflow of trucks need to be reduced to a minimum. It has come to notice that within the park several logistics and car related industries are positioned that are in need of a constant traffic flow.

These companies are seen as a future potential. If europark is becoming a central spill for the biomass economy, it must be considered that in the future these not well fitting companies from the logistics sector within Europark should move towards a more sustainable industrial park.

Existing bicycle network Unpaved paths Paved paths

information of the differnt industries from the-locater.eu

EMPTY LOTS

Peli Construct De Coene Schrijnwerkerij Creawoods Bionerga Geybels Theo Schrijnwerkerij Ledro Kitchens

OPPORTUNITIES

Eurocampers & Eurocaravans Ford parts Eurotrucks Bema Car

Troflux, Carwash & Logistics Neovia Logistics

FUTURE POTENTIALS 102

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Bionerga Machines & storage

EUROPARK

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Residential area

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Industrial zone Europark

Residential area

EUROPARK

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The company of Bionerga, the private investor that works together with HH to create the biomass hub. The very sharp contrast between the natural edge and the industrial park is very clear

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also in the middle part of the industrial park the landscape forms a prominent figure.

EUROPARK

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EUROPARK

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The ecologically valuable Mangelbeek valley. However today the quality of the valley is comprimised because of the pollution of the creek.

EUROPARK

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BIOMASSING hOUThALEN-hELChTEREN

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HOUTHALEN

SYSTEMIC SHIFT

MEULENBERG

The sections show the current situation and the future situation of flows taking part in the biomass economy. It shows the systemic shift as a design of flows. Today the landscape is maintained and conserved, however the raw material from this action is often or composted, or left on the maintained site.

The proposed implementation of the Biomass economy focuses on the flows of of course the raw material biomass in its different forms, but also, education and job creation, water management and purification and landscape biodiversity diversification.

The cross section is taken from north to south, throughout the main design sites; Europark and the ecological corridor.

EUROPARK 80 % concrete surface, polluted rainwater runoff into the surrounding creek valleys

35,5% unemployment

E314

70 60 50

Residual heat

After processing and manufacturing of the product on the site of Europark, it can be transported to the customer.

A heat network supports the production of Europark. Network is based on 3 heat sources.

Deep Geothermal

Biomass hub for Centrum Zuid and the regional scale distribution

BIONERGA

Biomass

EUROPARK LABO FOR BIOMASS

Composting Knowledge/Education Diversified grass land Manufacturing

Heat

SRC, 3 year harvesting cycle

Employment and Education Biomass for manufacturing

SRC willow, 5-10 year harvesting cycle

60 50

Biomass for energy Mobility

70

Planted hedgerows

Deep geothermal energy

Rainwater is as grey wate

HELCHTEREN VALLEY OF THE MANGELBEEK

PEER MILITARY DOMAIN

AGRICULTURAL LAND During dry summers water is pumped from the aquifer.

ater is collected and used y water at the industrial area.

Carwash

Overflow of the catchment system is released through Short Rotation Crop plantations, where it gets purified before being released in the valley.

Creating a divers landscape, increasing ecological biodiversity

Wet season

Fertilizer is washed off from the fields, contaminating the creeks.

Collection of surface and rain water in wet season used for irrigation in dry season

Dry season Short Rotation Crop

Herbal grasses

Hedgerows

ECOLOGICAL BIODIVERSITY

Expanding the heath landscape, creating an ecological corridor

1

2

3

4

The implementation of the biomass economy in Houthalen-Helchteren is overall used as a landscape structuring devise. Increasing the ecological value of the region.

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STRATEGIES 1 RECHARGING THE AQUIFER Reenacting the original length of the creeks, by building dikes. These dikes stop the fast runoff of rainwater in the creeks and gives the water the chance to first infiltrate and recharge the aquifer.

The dike that stops the immediate runoff of rainwater. With heavy rainfall, the excess of water can overflow the dike and will overflow in the newly formed wetlands next to the creek.

In dry season the water of the new wetlands will be used to water the agricultural crops instead of pumping up water from the aquifer.

2 SHORT ROTATION COPPICE Short rotation coppice are a dense plantation with fast growing trees, such as willow or poplar. SRC is perceived as an agricultural crop and is part of agroforestry. Once planted, it can be fully harvested every 3 years as they have the ability to resprout from their stumps. Depending on the thickness of the branches the chipps are used for energy or as a fiber in the plate or paper industry. The first year an intensive weed control needs to happen in order for the trees to grow, after this year the crops need minimal attention. In total the SRC can be harvested up to 7 times, meaning that after 21 years the crop needs to be replaced with a new plantation.

Trees in a 5-10 year harvest cycle deliver better quality wood for the manufacturing industry.

=

3 year rotation RECYCLE waste water and sewage sludge PHYTOREMEDIATION INCREASING BIODIvERSITY PROTECTION AGAINST EROSION

12-15 TONS DS/HA/YEAR

8000 PLANTS/HA 120

first year high maintenance to keep the area weed free

BIOMASSING CENTRAL LIMBURG

Phytoremediation

network

Ashes

3 INCREASE OvERALL AGRICULTURAL DIvERSITY For increasing the agricultural landscapes ecological biodiversity a diversification in crops is necessary.

This diversification needs to happen in relation to availability of herbs in the new crops. This will increase the amount of insects. Inviting more small animals like mice for instance who feed on insects, which in its turn overall increases the food accessibility of the birds and wildlife living of the agricultural land.

SHC not only is used as a crop for biomass and phytoremediation, but also contains a wider biodiversity of species then for example corn plantations. Creating a more diverse agricultural landscape, but still economically competitive.

Short Short Rotation Coppice Rotation Crop

Herbal Herbalgrasses grasses

Hedgerows

4 ExTENDING THE HEATH LANDSCAPE Creating the best possible ecological corridor for the ‘gladde slang’, the original heath landscape needs to be extended. Connecting the two military domains through stepping stones of heath.

For recreating this landscape the best chance to create good quality heath is to reconvert the pine forests. These mainly contain the original podzol soil with on top a fertile layer, created from the fallen leaves.

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Working platform

REGIONAAL LANDSCHAP

LAGE

KEMPEN

Energy

Hub Drying Wood manufacturing

Houthalen Helchteren

BIOMASS SHED

Ground exchange between farmer in non-historical fertile agri. land towards the pine forests that are being cut on historically fertile soil.

2017

The first stage of initiating the new biomass economy is recognizing the different stakeholders already in charge of their landscape maintenance. Ofcourse, this can occur all over the campine plateau.

For the start of the biomass economy for Houthalen-Helchteren we start with some strategic biomass sheds that can create win-win’s for the overall landscape. For the creation of an ecological corridor we start with the harvesting of the artificially planted pine forests of Molenheide. Underneath this forest, podsol soil is still present. (strategy 4) On the agricultural fields the ditches are closed of with dikes, as seen in strategy number 1. This creates the opportunity for the aquifer to recharge and for the heath landscape to recover and become of better quality.

Short rotation Coppice are planted on strategic places for phytoremediation and for diversifying the agricultural landscape.

In this initiation phase mostly biomass sheds are adressed who provide low quality wood. As in the first phase all the harvested raw materials need to be combusted to set up a valuable economy.

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deforestation heath SRC wild meadow

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SRC as agricultural crops, preventing fertilizer to flow into the valley

watershed of the demer

SRC on landfill

Ground exchange

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REGIONAAL LANDSCHAP

LAGE

KEMPEN

local Bio

ma ss h ar vesting c o

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE CENTER

op

e r at

i ve

Houthalen Helchteren

The startup of the local knowledge center give an additional workforce for the maintenance of the landscape. In this stage the local cooperative works as a re-enforcement for RLLK.

2025 The maintenance of the landscape expands. In this stage, not only raw material for woodchips are harvested, but also good quality wood coming from the forests. At Europark the shift towards a biolabo park is created and the empty lots are used as cathalysts for biomass related industries. At the ecological corridor where once the pine forest where now emerges a new heath landscape. Along this corridor agricultural land is prepared and the use is softend.

Wild grass lands with horses or cows instead of intens mais crops alternated with herb rich fields.

Around the creeks new wetlands emerge that can be used in dry season the water the crops.

At the military domain a knowledge centre is started up. This opens up the domain for local inhabitants of the municipality and is a local learning centre to become an expert in harvesting of biomass.

It creates job opportunities for low educated people and can also create jobs for the refugees staying in the military domain, so they can become part of a community.

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heath SRC wild meadow herby field

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A buffer area allong the creeks, that stop nutrient inflow Quality of the heath is improving Hedgerows are planted

First part of the ecological corridor is iproduced

Other biomass sheds are used. Extending the maintained landscape.

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2030 The bicycle infrastructure has extended, going from centrum zuid, to Europark and the Military domain onto the ecological corridor.

Creating a knowledge bike path, where the changing of the landscape and the economical value of the landscape is put at front.

The ecological corridor has evolved into a corridor of stepping stones, surrounded by soft landscapes.

With the new expertise and local harvesters educated at the knowledge center the maintained landscape is extended again. A different landscape harvested at a time, to use the materials and expensive machine to the fullest.

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heath SRC wild meadow herby field Extended bicycle path

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a spinoff of the biomass economy as designed during the workshop of waste of the city/ city of waste. Publication: Marin J., Motti M., et. al. (2016). atelier # 1. in, Het Kolenspoor getest.

2035 Different offsprings of the biomass economy are created at local public places. At Meulenberg, in the center of Houthalen, of Helchteren and so on. This to create a backbone for Houthalen’s new identity of being leader in the biomass economy.

Eventually the deciduous forests in the flood prone areas are also maintained. After implementing a minimal harvesting platform.

Europark has become part of the landscape, and an overal structuring of Houthalen Helchteren following the landscape is achieved.

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heath SRC wild meadow herby field Extended bicycle path

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EUROPARK Europark needs to become an integrated part of the biomass economy. A transition is necessary where the biomass is not only stored, but also produced, manufactured and experimented on. Where the local population can go to and learn about the productivity of their landscape. As europark is already an enclave within the local tissue and the natural structure it is ideal to transform this enclave into a real part of these two structures.

The design of Europark is therefore based on a 4 main principles. It is a multi-layered design that takes into account how to use every present material to its maximum sustainable use.

The four layers consist of the recharging of the empty lots, the creation of a productive landscape with a sustainable water management, an additional social network and a heat network that is in first phase based on the two principles of residual heat and of the boimass installation on site and in second phase has an additional deep geothermal installation.

Difference in types of SRC, short or long cycle, giving an interesting play of different trees. The landscape implementation is a pattern that interplays with the open and closed pattern that we can see in the north of the site. This creates a constant changing scenery in Europark. These trees depending on their cycle are part of the energetic combustion of the biomass or as a good quality raw material that will be first used to its full potential as an object before being combusted.

A water retention network. In the region water is constantly pumped due to the mining subsidenca areas. This water can be collected in the park together with rain water in water retention basins. This water is used as grey water for toilets and so on for the industries and the local school. The different carwashes on site can also use this water for its business. When the system overflows, the rainwater is left to overflow through the SRC plantations.

These purify the rainwater before recharging it in the ecologically valuable creeks.

The social network constist of an exstention of the bicycle path and the recreational bicycle path. The park in the west side is opening up towards the local tissue. In this way Europark becomes part of a knowledge touristic track. That is beneficial for tourists as well as the local population to learn about their landscape.

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PHase 1

eXTended BicYcle neTworK The extended bicycle network draws in the local

HeaT neTworK Biomass Installation Residual Heat

ProducTiVe landscaPe 5-10 year rotation trees, good quality wood for nonenergetic use.

Short Rotation Coppice (SRC), for energetic use.

iniTiaTing THe sHifT Empty lots Biomass friendly industries

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PHase 1 Empty lots Biomass oriented industries

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Industry based on the production of the raw material.

LABO for biomass, also houses the biomass installation of > 300kW, that feeds into the heat network

wateroverflow through the SRC plantations Picknick spot

Biomass hub, storage of wood shreds and woodlogs

Pilot project of building with local quality wood. Households a eating facility

wateroverflow through the SRC plantations

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PHase 2 The second phase of the design is based on a changing policy framework. It is based on an active exclusion of some types of industry that do not stroke with the new identity of Europark and its functioning as a local spill for biomass.

In this phase I proposed some industrial buildings where the function should be changed. These buildings can now attrackt different production or manufacturing industries like the composite research industrie, or a local workshop where they sell objects made by biomass as ‘Limburg Sterk Merk’.

Eventually in this further transition the ideal scenario for Europark will be that the production and manufacturing of products will as much as possible happen on Europark. This cascading will reduce the amount of trucks coming in and out without actively changing road infrastructures. So with an active policy Europark can not only become the location of a biomass hub, but can become a LABO space for every aspect of biomass.

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New SRC plantation, purifying the water before running into the creek.

Former logistics industry has left, inviting a new manufacturing industry with workshops. Opening up towards the bicycle path.

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src 3 year cycle Phytoremediation

Ashes of combustion can also be used as fertilizer on fields.

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Biomass combustion installation, feeding the heath network

storage serre for shredded biomass

Ashes of combustion are used as an ingredient in the making of concrete.

This section is taken through the biomass hub. This part of the hub mainly focusses on the storage of woodchips and woodlogs. Two compartiments of storage are tapping of of the heat network. So that woodchips can also be dried in som parts of the hub. With the moving of the logistical industry on the right of the section a new biomass based industry can be settled in.

This will enforce the cascading of production and manufacturing of wood materials at Europark. In this way, minimalising the amount of heavy traffic leaving and entering.

new hardwood biomass manufacturing company Productive landscape of src in a 5-10 year harvest cycle.

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A public restaurant is build. The building is made from locally harvested wood, as a pilot project for Europark.

5 - 10 year SRC cycle.

Retention basin

The car wash uses the water from the retention basin.

SRC of a 3 year cycle. The water used in the carwash is released through the SRC and purified before being catched by the sewer system.

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SRC of 3 year rotation.

The landscape is drawn into the industrial park even more than before.

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Heat network.

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Working platform

Energy

Hub Drying Wood manufacturing

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CONCLUSION The biomass economy as it has been studied until today is perceived as an instrument in a search for renewable energy rather than a local structuring element.

For Houthalen this vision on biomass is a missed opportunity, as the biomass economy has the potential to respond to local ecosystems and to balance the landscape like the former cultural landscape in terms of productivity and ecology. Throughout the last decades, the landscape around Houthalen has been destabilized by the globalized economy, causing different socio economical and ecological challenges, such as high unemployment rates, the spatial planning of Europark, and an aggressive agricultural landscape that endangers not only the ecology of the plateau, but also of the surrounding creeks and landscapes. In my thesis I showed, on the basis of these local problems how this economy can work as a local structuring mechanism. Initially, it is shown how the biomass hub generates a restructuring of Europark, which is no longer an island within an urbane and natural system, but a productive park, that is integrated within the local fabric.

Secondly the design shows how in the area surrounding the ecological corridor, the biomass economy starts to take on a structuring role in the transition towards a more ecological landscape. This means that the focus is not only on harvesting but also on planting an ideal landscape. This requires knowledge. On the one hand, knowledge required to manage a landscape. On the other hand, educational knowledge that informs the population about the value of the landscape and the transition of the landscape through an extensive cycle network.

All of this leads to an economy that is less vulnerable to global fluctuations. An economy that is circular, and which is anchored locally. Houthalen can build a new identity around this biomass economy, an economy in which it’s citizens can flourish and prosper.

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p. 23 VAN ACKER, Maarten (2014) ‘From Flux to Frame’, Leuven University Press, p38 p.24 OUTSEN, P., WYCKMANS, K. (2011) ‘Jaarboek Coalface 2010 n°2’, Coalface p.25 Heideplagger,(http://www.regionalebronnenbank.nl/zoekresultaten/index.php?subtheme=31&city=0&search=&page=3), [last consulted 15-08-2017] WOLSINK, Fred (2007); ‘Schapen in hoogkeppel’, Weekblad Contact, (http://www.hummelo.nl/geschiedenis-hummelo/ rondom-de-hessenweg/596-schapen-in-hoog-keppel-1905-rdh035-20-11-2007.html), [last consulted 15-08-2017] p.26 MASSART, Jean, “Bruyère et vallée de Stiemerbeek” les aspects de la végétation en Belgique (http://docplayer.nl/17382864Vooraf-voorblad-francois-halkett-in-het-dennenbos-1884-olie-op-doek-emile-van-dorenmuseum-genk.html), [last consulted 15-08-2017] Picture of the fertilizer, (http://resolver.libis.be/IE1483357), [last consulted 15-08-2017] p.27, 28, 31 VAN ACKER, Maarten (2014) ‘From Flux to Frame’, Leuven University Press, p45 p.34-35 François Roffiaen - Studie in Genk (1854) Jean Massar t - Etang à bord plat entre Hasselt et Genck - from ‘Les aspects de la végétation en Belgique (1912) Emile VAN DOREN - Herfstnevel Reulens Kristof (2014) ‘Landschapsschiders in de Limburgse Kempen (1840-1940) Een samenvattend overzicht’ p. 37, 41 Articles from DRIESSENS, Koen (2004) ‘Jubileumboek: 125 jaar Het belang van Limburg’, Concerta Uitgeversmaatschappij p.38 Pictures from RLLK, ‘Praktische gids: beheer van houtkanten en knotbomen’ p.64 Pictures of animals coming from www.natura2000.be p.86 Underlayer for the scheme is coming from DIRKX, Jan ‘Historiek van de Europese Heide, deel1’ p.90-93 Pictures retrieved from twecom.be