Brusol rolls out network of thousand charging points in Brussels region
JETTE, 15/09/2021 - Since the summer of 2018, Brusol installed free solar panels for more than 3,500 Brussels households and SMEs. Since 2020, Brusol has also been selling 100% green, 100% Brussels energy, but along with moving to new headquarters in Jette, Brusol is now also launching itself into electric mobility. In the coming months it will install a thousand charging points in the Brussels Region, customers will be able to drive electric shared cars for free, and all Brussels residents will be able to participate in the energy transition through crowdlending. The fast chargers installed by Brusol at its headquarters - the two fastest charging stations in the Region - charge cars in less than ten minutes. Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Peteghem, Brussels Finance Minister Sven Gatz and State Secretary Barbara Trachte kicked things off this afternoon.
Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Peteghem today brought together the key players in the energy transition at Brusol's new headquarters (EnergyVision). Brusol's homecoming in Jette was solemnly celebrated, but the fastest charging stations in the Region were also inaugurated: once the Brusol fast chargers (350 KW) are operational (expected in early October), an electric car can be charged in less than ten minutes. The two quick chargers are the showpiece of a complete charging station with some twenty charging stations. All the poles run on green energy from Brussels.
During a roundtable discussion, Van Peteghem stressed the importance of (semi-) public charging stations to enable electric mobility in the future. Among those present at the table were Raphaël Lefere (CEO of network operator Sibelga), Sven Gatz (Brussels Minister for the Budget) and Barbara Trachte (State Secretary for Economic Transition).
For her part, Barbara Trachte re-emphasized the importance of semi-public and off-street charging stations in the strategic vision of Brussels. In addition, Trachte underlined the importance of initiatives by players such as Brusol and welcomed the acceleration of the installation of charging stations in Brussels.
Free charging stations
Brusol follows the logic of semi-public charging stations entirely and is rolling out a network of charging stations according to the same formula as it previously did with solar panels: 100% free installation, in exchange for operation. There is no government support, subsidy or green energy certificate involved. It goes as follows: Brusol installs charging stations in its clients' car parks, both these clients and external drivers can charge their cars at fixed prices, and all the electricity used will be 100% green and 100% Brussels. Brusol applies fixed maximum prices: 0.20 EUR/kWh at the ordinary charging stations, 0.40 EUR/kWh for the ultra-fast chargers.
Energy Minister Alain Maron was absent last minute due to a crisis meeting about the Brussels corona situation but followed the event closely. "Supporting less polluting vehicles is a powerful lever that the Region must use to make our air cleaner and meet our climate targets. That is why we have set ourselves the ambitious target of installing 11,000 publicly accessible charging points in our city by 2035, in addition to private charging points. To meet this target, the installation of semi-public and off-street charging stations will be crucial. To achieve this, we will need to work closely with all relevant actors and establish a clear legislative framework. I welcome this initiative by Brusol, which shows that our efforts are paying off," Maron said.
Raphaël Lefere, CEO of Sibelga, was also enthusiastic. Lefere: "Sibelga, as network operator, is involved in electric mobility and welcomes Brusol Mobility's ambition to install charging stations. This is a great initiative that will help accelerate the breakthrough of electric vehicles while ensuring that Brussels becomes an example of successful energy transition."
In the group photo in front: Barbara Trachte (Secretary of State for Economic Transition- Brussels Capital Region), Maarten Michielssens (Group CEO – EnergyVision), Vincent Van Peteghem (Minister of Finance – Belgium), Sven Gatz (Minister of Finance & Budget – Brussels Capital Region)
On the group photo left from back to front: Maqsud Bilal – (Chairman of the Board – EnergyVision), Karel De Gucht (Non-Executive Director – EnergyVision), Ivan Vertenten (CEO – Belfius Lease), Raphaël Lefere (CEO – Sibelga), Hassan Mourhit (CEO EnergyVision Morocco & Co-founder EnergyVision).
On the group photo right from front to back: Meghan Richil (Brusol Manager – EnergyVision), Karel Vanderputte (SME & Funded Solutions – Credendo), Didier Beauvois (Head of Corporate Banking – BNP Paribas Fortis), Eva Wirtz (Head of Business Banking – Triodos), Franc Bogovic (Deputy CEO – Finance & Invest Brussels).
Free shared cars
Brusol also provides free electric shared cars to its four thousand customers. In this way, they are involving more people in the transition to green mobility.
"Supporting innovative economic models that take our planet into account is one of the anchor points of the economic policy that the Brussels Government wants to implement. Facilitating the production of green energy in the private sector or contributing to the decarbonisation of our mobility are among our priorities. I am delighted that an instrument like the Proxi loan, which mobilises citizens' savings, can be used to achieve these objectives," said Barbara Trachte.
Meghan Richil, Brusol Manager: "When I co-launched Brusol in 2018, we had barely put solar panels in Belgium. Back then, it was a distant dream to be able to serve four hundred customers. Today we have almost four thousand, and it's just the beginning."
Families earn
Finally, Brusol also launched the "Brusol Connect" platform. Here, Brussels residents can co-invest in the energy transition in the Region, at a fixed return of 4.86% per year. "I am pleased to see that Brusol Connect is participating in the proxy loans that the Brussels Region has set up for private individuals who live in the Region and want to invest their savings in a Brussels-based company. A proxy loan from the Brussels-Capital Region is advantageous for those who subscribe to it: your savings can earn an interesting return because of the tax advantage. Moreover, it helps you to achieve the climate objectives," says Brussels Finance Minister Sven Gatz.
Maarten Michielssens, CEO of EnergyVision/Brusol, has the final word: "Every year new customers join the Brusol story, and every year we can add extra layers to our model. What started with free solar panels has today grown into a complete story of energy and mobility "as a service". And the best part is: as in everything we do, people are at the heart of our story. That way, we can include everyone in the energy transition. Because we are absolutely convinced: the energy transition is a great opportunity for everyone, not a threat," says Michielssens.
