Heatnet and geothermal energy with the support of:

Janssen fully opts for a healthy and sustainable future. Not only do we want to contribute to a better society through innovative medicines, the future of our planet and the next generations is also close to our hearts.

100% renewable energy

We aim to be CO2 neutral for all our own activities by 2030. To achieve this, Janssen has invested in deep geothermal energy, among other things.

The principle of geothermal energy, or geothermal heat, is very simple: hot water of 85°C is pumped up from a groundwater layer 2.4 km underground, the heat is extracted via a heat exchanger and then distributed across the site in Beerse via a heat network (a pipe system of 3.5 km long). This allows us to supply buildings and production processes with the necessary heat. Afterwards, the cooled water goes back into the same groundwater layer where it can be reheated by the heat naturally present in the earth. This makes deep geothermal energy a sustainable and inexhaustible source of energy.

Pioneering work

In October 2022, we were able to generate the first heat via deep geothermal energy. Janssen is the first industrial player in Belgium to apply deep geothermal energy on this scale for its own energy needs. With geothermal energy as a heat source, we can reduce CO2 emissions for our activities in Belgium by 30% and help support and accelerate the transition to sustainable energy in Flanders.

A logical step in our sustainability strategy

Together with our partners, we are investing in the health of our planet and its inhabitants. Deep geothermal energy is an example of this, but it is also a logical step in our overall sustainability strategy, in which we put the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the heart of what we do and how we do it. Plant on a Truck is one example, but also our Power Purchase Agreement, through which we purchase green power from wind farms on the North Sea. Thanks to this agreement, all our sites in Belgium and the Netherlands have been running exclusively on green power since January 1, 2020. In 2023, Janssen also signed the Green Deal Duurzame Zorg (Sustainable Care), an initiative of the Flemish government, through which we undertake to work together with other partners in the care sector to make care more sustainable.

The Janssen geothermal project has come about, also thanks to financial support from Flanders (the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency (Vlaams Energie-en Klimaatagentschap), the Flemish Innovation and Enterprise Agency (Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen)) and from the European Union (€1.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF Flanders).