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Air pollution from traffic, industry and households is very much under the spotlight today. Yet we also breathe in harmful substances inside our home – or at the office. Manufacturers of building materials must comply with national and European guide values for these so-called VOCs. And this will soon apply to furniture and consumer products as well. VITO has a long tradition in this area, both in terms of measuring these emissions and in terms of compliance with national legislation and with voluntary product labels.
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Geothermal power is a promising renewable energy source for Flanders. But where exactly does the potential lie? By mapping the subsoil in detail with specifi c techniques, VITO is assisting in the development of geothermal plants. In May 2017 a comprehensive measuring campaign took place in the context of the ERDF SALK project ‘Towards a sustainable energy supply in cities’.
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Two research projects focusing on the discovery of new technologies to transform waste CO2 into value-added chemicals have been funded by the Flemish Government. The CATCO2RE project (2.5 million euro) is funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). The CO2PERATE project (2.6 million euro) is funded by the Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (VLAIO), and supported by Catalisti, the spearhead cluster for chemistry and plastics.
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It is well known that deep geothermal energy can cause earthquakes. These are usually mild earthquakes that can only be recorded using sensitive measurement equipment. The injection of cooled water appears to be a significant cause of these. By determining the location of the earthquakes, we are able to establish how the substrate responds to differences in pressure in connection with the injection. This allows us to become more familiar with the substrate.
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Op basis van meetgegevens uit vaste meetstations en de kennis van de verschillende emissiebronnen in de regio, zet VITO het ATMO-Street model in om een gedetailleerd beeld te verkrijgen van de luchtkwaliteit van de regionale schaal tot op straatniveau. In aanvulling op deze gemodelleerde kaarten, kan het nuttig zijn om voor bepaalde stoffen of complexe situaties specifieke meetcampagnes op te zetten. Deze aanpak laat toe om een nog beter beeld te krijgen van de actuele luchtkwaliteitsproblematiek.
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Particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide in the air have a major impact on our health. In recent months, VITO experts updated one of the statistical models behind the Dutch air monitoring network. The RIO model calculates background concentrations of air pollution on the basis of measurements, and for many years it has also been the basis for public information on current air quality in Belgium.
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Together with EnergyVille/VITO, Ghent University and imec, the utility company Fluvius launches two new labs for digital energy meters at the campus of EnergyVille in Genk and in the HomeLab of imec and Ghent University in Ghent. Enterprises working on Smart Home systems or apps for digital meters, which will be implemented in Flanders starting in January 2019, can now test innovative applications in real life conditions in the labs. Tests include an extensive variety of home applications ranging from user notifications to smart control of electric boilers, heat pump boilers, charging stations and batteries in combination with solar panels.
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The circular economy is not only the key to a sustainable materials policy, it also creates jobs and stimulates prosperity. According to a study by the Centre for Sustainable Materials Management conducted in 2014, the circular economy can deliver 27 000 jobs in Flanders. As a key partner of Circular Flanders, VITO supports companies and governments in the transition to a circular business model.
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Planetarium - Brussels, 14 March 2017: Today BELSPO, VITO, CRA-W, ULG and Belgapom launch the webplatform watchITgrow.
WatchITgrow is a new geo-information platform developed for the Belgian potato sector with the purpose to better estimate and increase the potato yield in a sustainable way. With this webtool the Belgian potato growers, traders and processors can quickly and in a user friendly way access data and information on the growth of different potato varieties.
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In just over a year it should be finished: the new land cover map that VITO is developing as part of ESA’s WorldCover project. By improving the resolution from 100 to 10 metres, many more details will become visible, ensuring that the map will meet the requirements of its many users even better.
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To brew one litre of beer, a brewer needs three to no less than 20 litres of water, depending on the type of beer. That's a lot, especially when we know that water is becoming increasingly scarce in Flanders. Fifteen breweries prove, one year after the start of the Green Deal Brewers, that their plans are not a dead letter. They took up the challenge and looked for systems to reuse more water or use less water for the rinsing machines. An overview.
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Flanders has been plagued by drought for the fourth year in a row. What has been known for some time is now reaching a wider audience: Flanders is struggling with a serious water shortage. A thorough rethink of our water system with the aid of technological innovation and a new approach will be necessary. If not, there is a threat of disruptive damage to our economy. The Flemish government is responding to this and recently announced the ‘Blue Deal’. VITO can make an important contribution to this with its water-related tools and innovation projects, and its specific knowledge around water.
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UAntwerpen, Water-Link and Flanders Knowledge Center Water investigated why we drink bottled water en masse
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More and more companies want to make their business processes – or at least part of them – more sustainable through a circular strategy. But that is easier said than done. VITO is offering a helping hand: by calculating concrete figures for the switchover to a circular business model, as well as the potential impact on the environment and climate. This allowed Q-lite to switch to a circular business model by renting out displays in the form of a comprehensive “service”.
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The Horizon 2020 project CICERONE has published the new European Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on Circular Economy, that aims to support funders of circular economy programmes with the efficient design and prioritisation of needs at EU level.
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VITO has been part of the Environmental Healthcare Partner Organisation (PO MGZ) of the Agency for Care and Health since the end of 2016, together with the Provincial Institute for Hygiene (PIH) and the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living. The Partner Organisation translates existing health research into concrete tips, guidelines and tools for the Flemish Environmental Health Network. The scientific support of VITO ensures that the government can develop a well-founded policy to protect the population against damage to health as a result of environmental pollution.
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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations are exceptionally ambitious: freeing humanity from poverty and re-orienting the planet towards sustainability. VITO supports the realisation of the SDGs and has formulated its own ambitious proposals for eight of the seventeen goals.
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D2GRIDS is an acronym for ‘demand driven grids’. This new Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) project, coordinated by Mijnwater Ltd., aims to upscale 5th generation District Heating and Cooling (5G DHC) grids across Europe. Five pilot sites in Paris-Saclay (FR), Bochum (GE), Brunssum (NL), Glasgow and Nottingham (UK) will develop 5G DHC grids. D2GRIDS’ first kick-off meeting, held in Heerlen, set the stage for three years of intense collaboration among European partners to roll out this proven technology.
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Plastic is omnipresent in our daily lives. Just think about the things you already used today containing plastic. Packaging, cell phones, toys, ... Because it is so versatile and inexpensive, plastic is being overconsumed. But we also have to face the fact that too many plastic materials end up in our rivers, seas and oceans.
Plastic pollution is a widespread problem affecting our marine and coastal environment. How can we tackle this? How can we use available technology including satellite, drones and cameras to bring our battle to a next level? Using remote sensing gives us many advantages but research is needed to determine which camera/sensor is most suited to detect macroplastics.
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The port of Antwerp and the surrounding region is home to a world-class chemistry cluster. Naturally this ecosystem also encompasses knowledge institutions that supply technology and innovations, as well as businesses that valorise and bring new knowledge onto the market. Antwerp’s new BlueChem ‘incubator’ is designed to support researchers and companies as much as possible in the further development and deployment of sustainable chemistry. They can also rely on VITO’s expertise.
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Together with two major manufacturers of test kits, VITO has introduced a greener analysis method for measuring chemical oxygen demand in wastewater. Flemish businesses can now contact VITO with questions, offering its role of independent facilitator between governments and industry.