The 'Nieuwe Dokken' obtains an environmental permit due the environmental advice of Profex

The sustainable urban development project 'De Nieuwe Dokken' in Ghent, led by the DuCoop cooperative, aims to close the cycles. 'De Nieuwe Dokken' purify their own wastewater, generate renewable energy and recover nutrients from wastewater and kitchen waste. Thanks to the professional environmental advice of our Profex experts, the project received an environmental permit for the exploitation of their activities.  

There is space for 400 houses, a crèche, a school and a sports hall. Waste water is collected and purified in the neighbourhood. After purification, it gets a second life as process water at the neighbouring company Christeyns, a company that supplies high-quality chemical hygiene products. 

The purified wastewater is also used to replenish the rainwater buffers. This is needed for toilet flushing and irrigation of the green areas. In this way, the use of drinking water for these applications is avoided.  

The kitchen waste is also collected and fermented in a digester from which biogas is extracted. The sludge from the fermentation is not reused on site. This goes to an incinerator from which nutrients are recovered that are used as fertilizer in horticulture.  

For heating, all homes are connected to a heat network. The heat is 100% sustainable and consists of residual heat from industry and heat recovered from the district's wastewater.  

De 'Nieuwe Dokken' is the first circular residential area in our country, with closed cycles for water, waste and energy. The cooperative behind this project, DuCoop, called on the environmental experts of Profex to obtain the environmental permit.  

With our extensive expertise in the fermentation and biogas sector, our expert knowledge about closing the cycle and the reuse of waste water and our communicative approach in consultation with authorities, DuCoop found Profex, the ideal partner for the permit process of this project.