New charging station in Roeselare leads the way to future regulations

Roeselare, 17 May 2021 - Today a public Q8 electric charger was put into service at the new Durabrik construction project in the Albert Biesbroukstraat, a side street of the Honzebroekstraat. After completion of the building project, Durabrik and Q8 electric will hand over the charger to the City of Roeselare. The charging point will then become public, and indirectly supplied with renewable energy from the low-energy houses. A win-win-win for all parties, the climate and our environment. Durabrik hopes that other cities and municipalities will follow Roeselare's example so that charging stations can be installed more quickly in construction projects.

The new charger in Honzebroekstraat – capable of charging two electric cars simultaneously – is a new step in Roeselare’s ambition to create as many charging points as possible, as quickly as possible. The city now has 21 public charging points, or one per 3,000 inhabitants or 1,600 cars. Not a bad start, but still far from the ambitious Flemish government objective of one charging point for every 100 inhabitants by 2030. Or in Roeselare's case, 630 charging points.

The city is therefore seizing every opportunity to increase the number of charging points in a hurry. Supporting public chargers in new construction projects, such as Durabrik's, offers an interesting possibility. "We are committed to further exploit the charging points installed by project developers such as Durabrik, when the property eventually becomes public domain. In this way, owners of chargers such as Q8 electric have the guarantee of return on investment in the long term, and the inhabitants of Roeselare will have a charging point five to ten years sooner. The reason is that we don't have to wait until the site becomes public property in order to install a charging station. A win-win," says Griet Coppé, the Roeselare alderwoman for mobility.

Moreover, this charger is the first step in a sustainable mobility story. It is the leadup to a small transport hub - called a Hoppinpunt in Dutch- within Durabrik’s new residential allotment. With the support of the project developer, a Cambio shared car will also soon be installed near this charging station. Within the spacious 'Roobaertpark' allotment there will be other ‘Hoppin points’ with shared cars. These will be partly financed by the project developers. By drawing attention to electric and shared mobility, the city aims to realise its sustainable ambitions.

Sustainability centre stage

Sustainability is central to Durabrik's new-build project in the Honzebroekstraat. This low-traffic and green residential area will consist of 38 semi-detached and closed houses.

"Thanks to the connection to the city's heat network, the low-energy building envelope and other sustainable applications, these houses are extremely energy efficient. A charging station for electric vehicles is the cherry on the cake for the local residents," says Steven Vanden Brande, sustainability coordinator at Durabrik.

Durabrik hopes that other cities and municipalities - where it will be starting new construction projects - will follow the example. "Through these public-private partnerships we can create public charging points in Flanders faster," says Steven Vanden Brande.

This is also the ambition of Q8. As a Mobility Player, Q8 is committed to a more sustainable mobility: "This kind of collaboration gives electric mobility a big push. Lots of people are willing to buy an electric car, but hesitate because there are few or no public charging points nearby. This is a way to provide more local public charging points more quickly. Together with Durabrik, our aim also broadens: from private charging solutions to innovative, sustainable mobility solutions for their building projects," says Geert De Mil, Alternative Fuels Manager at Q8.

Jochen De Smet, president of AVERE Belgium, the federation for electro mobility in Belgium, welcomes the initiative of the three partners. "It is a creative solution to accelerate the rollout of public charging points. Nice to see, because due to the rapid rise of electric vehicles, we will need to realise additional charging points very quickly in the coming years. ”

About Durabrik

Durabrik creates future-oriented housing solutions based on quality of life, boasting more than 50 years of experience. The construction company has more than 260 permanent employees and achieves an annual turnover of 120 million euros. At Durabrik, people are at the centre, because construction starts with people! Respect and trust, growth & development, cooperation, innovative entrepreneurship and ownership (ROSIE in Dutch) summarise the five company values that are propagated by all Durabrik employees. From the positive power of employees, the company strives for the highest possible customer satisfaction. With its people-oriented and innovative approach, Durabrik distinguishes itself within the construction sector. For example, in 2017 and 2019 the group was awarded the "Great place to work" certificate by Vlerick. In October 2020, Durabrik was the only construction company in the sector to earn the UNITAR 'SDG Pioneer' certificate. This is an award from the UN for Durabrik's sustainability efforts. For more information: www.durabrik.be

About Q8 Belgium

With over 465 fuel stations and fuel delivery to professional end users and resellers, Q8 is one of the largest fuel players on the Belgian market. Specifically for the transport sector, Q8 operates 40 International Diesel Services (IDS) stations in Belgium. The company is also active in the production, marketing and sales of Q8 lubricants. In retail, Q8 also has a strong network of over 120 local 'Shop&Go' convenience stores in Belgium together with Delhaize, Panos and Starbucks by Selecta. Q8 electric is taking great strides in the E-mobility market with a network of (fast) chargers at its own stations, at locations of partners and customers and via an international network across Europe. It is Q8's ambition to evolve into a sustainable Mobility player. Q8 will therefore continue to innovate and invest in future-oriented opportunities that make every customer journey more sustainable.