Charleroi, BE

The city of Charleroi is located in Belgium and is the most populous city in the Wallonia region with approximately 200,000 inhabitants. Over the past few years, Charleroi has implemented several projects for urban renewal within the city, some of which were financed by the European structural funds.

As part of the projects carried out in Charleroi, the energy efficient refurbishment of several buildings has already been achieved. These renovations included the improvement of the façade and roof insulation as well as the replacement of windows frames and the installation of new energy efficient lighting and heating systems. In addition, Charleroi has installed a remote heating management system in over 25 sites. 800 smart meters have also been introduced in 200 municipal buildings and should allow the city to realise significant energy savings.

On its way to reduce its energy consumption, the city will replace the street lighting on the internal ring road with a LED system using less energy. Additionally, the municipality is currently implementing a sustainable mobility plan that should reduce the distances travelled by trucks and polluting vehicles within the city. To show its commitment to making Charleroi a green city, the municipality has participated in the Belgian POLLEC programme, helping cities to design sustainability action plans, and is planning to join the Covenant of Mayors initiative.

As a Replication City, Charleroi intends to build on the accumulated experience of other smart cities in energy efficient refurbishment and intelligent energy management.