Redevelopment former Ford site in Genk

The end of the Ford plant came hard in Genk. From 1964 until its closure in 2014, around 14 million cars rolled off the assembly line here. But the Flemish government and the city of Genk did not sit back. They developed an ambitious master plan to transform the 96-hectare Ford site into a new hotspot for logistics and manufacturing in record time. The goal: 2,500 new jobs. Vlaamse Waterweg nv picked up the gauntlet and began the metamorphosis of the site into a state-of-the-art business zone in 2017. Starting with the large-scale demolition and dismantling of the industrial site and soil remediation. And finally the redevelopment of the site with all the associated infrastructural and civil work. In less than 10 years, Logistic Valley Flanders was a reality, which is extremely fast for a transformation of this magnitude. Mourik carried out the soil remediation and infrastructure works within the THV Ford 2020 consortium, together with DEME, Aertssen and Aclagro.

Underground demolition, environmental engineering and infra

Mourik helped carry out two main parts: first the remediation of the site, then the construction of the infrastructure. For the remediation, we removed pavements, foundations and underground structures, including about 2,000 tonnes of asbestos pipes and ducts. We excavated the five contaminated zones up to six metres deep and removed more than 115,000 tonnes of contaminated soil to the GRC Zolder soil remediation centre, in which Mourik also participates. Around three contamination cores we placed sheet pile walls eleven metres deep, for stability and to limit inflow of contaminated groundwater. We purified the drainage water on site, with installations we design and build ourselves.

In the second phase, we built the common utility infrastructure. In doing so, we laid the foundations for the redevelopment into a new, trimodal business zone. On this scale, this includes 11 kilometres of drainage pipes, nine kilometres of sewerage, 45,000 square metres of concrete pavement, five kilometres of cycle paths and 1,500 green parking spaces. We also realised an extra heavy-duty port road, suitable for the heavy reach stackers that move containers between the port and the companies. Our colleagues from Mourik Infra collaborated on this phase.

Circular and sustainable

Besides the size of the project and the short time to complete the transformation, there are a few peculiarities. These have to do with sustainability and circularity. For example, we made 100,000 tonnes of broken-up pavement and concrete, and 15,000 tonnes of mixed rubble suitable for reuse in the new infrastructure. Maximum circularity with minimum CO2 impact. By seeking synergy with the earth-moving on the entire site, we were ultimately able to complete the entire project with a virtually closed soil balance. That too is circularity. Another example of sustainability was channelling the drainage of the entire site into large infiltration basins instead of discharging into the sewage system. And the site is greener than ever. We softened 30 hectares, created 240,000 square metres of grassland, planted almost 600 trees and a diversity of greenery. The exposed, dual cycle paths, also contribute to the green ambitions in Genk, as part of the F76 cycle highway, to encourage sustainable commuting.

Seeing a project grow is always satisfying, especially in a transformation like this, where we were able to show our versatility: from environmental engineering to infrastructure. A special element was the preservation of industrial heritage. We dismantled, overhauled and conserved part of the metal truss structure from the old Ford buildings. We replaced these parts as truss structures at a central location on the new industrial estate. A tangible reminder of the past, looking to the future: Logistic Valley Flanders as a driver of economic growth and employment in Genk and the surrounding area. And as an example of how to link economic development and sustainability. Contributing in this way to a sustainable future for the region makes this project extra special for Mourik.