Active in the four corners of the European district, Equans has just renewed its operation and maintenance contract on behalf of the Council of the European Union. Present in the Justus Lipsius building since 1995, but also in the Europa and LEX buildings, the European Parliament and the buildings of the EESC (European Economic and Social Committee), Equans has vast experience in the service of the European Union. With more than 200 employees assigned to the maintenance and energy management of the most iconic buildings in the European quarter, our company performs the behind-the-scenes work that is, to say the least, essential.
Access control, lighting, temperature regulation... Whether it is to welcome a head of State or to ensure the well-being of parliamentarians, civil servants or visitors, every day our teams ensure the smooth operation of the technical installations. An attention to detail which has earned us the renewal of our operation and maintenance contract for the Council of the European Union, last February. This new contract will start in May 2023, for a period of 10 years.
Multi-faceted buildings
Located in the centre of Brussels, between the Royal Palace and the Parc du Cinquantenaire, the European district extends over a radius of a few kilometres. A fairly small space which nevertheless has several imposing buildings with their own specifications. “Regarding the European institutions, there are no two identical buildings”, explains Jean-Marie Tabureau, Department Manager at Equans.
“Parliament, for example – where we are in charge of nearly 400,000 m² – is an enormous hemicycle. It stands out for its size and functionality. In a different style, the Europa building - where meetings between heads of State take place - is an ultra-modern and secured building. Our work there is not the same and we adapt to each environment... We are talking here about offices, kitchen areas and even a nursery for children, as is the case under the contract renewal which we have just signed with the Council of the European Union!”
Available teams 24/7
Electrical installations, water and air treatment, HVAC equipment, sanitary facilities, fire detection, cogeneration units… To ensure the well-being of the occupants, our teams are available 24/7. “As well as maintenance, we also carry out breakdown and repair operations”, says Jean-Marie Tabureau.
“A socket that doesn't work, a lighting or power supply problem… This can have unfortunate consequences in the middle of the Council of Ministers! This is why we are putting everything in place to guarantee the continuity of the equipment. Moreover, each service or maintenance operation is the subject of a complete report in the client's CAMM (Computer Aided Maintenance Management). The European authorities are particularly demanding on this point!”
Energy savings come first
Alongside the operation and maintenance component, some European institutions also entrust us with their renovation work. This is the case for the Council, but also for the EESC, where we have succeeded in reducing energy consumption by half in about fifteen years. On the programme? The replacement of refrigeration units, various smart building solutions or the relighting of a 13,500 m² car park.
“The energy efficiency optimisation projects carried out by our teams within the buildings of the European institutions are an effective lever to help our customers save money, but they are not the only ones!”, concludes Jean-Marie Tabureau. “In all the buildings where we are present, our know-how also resides in the management of the installations and the energy monitoring carried out by our teams. Every month, we also offer our customers precise reports in order to analyse any discrepancies, as well as possible ways of improvement.”
“The energy studies have made it possible to generate additional contracts such as the replacement of lighting and the renovation of boiler rooms.” adds Benoît Kelecom, Energy efficiency consultant at Equans.
15 minutes to intervene
Availability, reliability, speed… Whether it’s for the EESC, the Council or the Parliament, wouldn’t ultimately the key to Equans' success with the European authorities be its professionalism? Technicians, administrators, warehouse workers, engineers, ground staff… In all circumstances, our teams are ready to respond to occupants' requests with sometimes very stringent intervention times.
In Parliament, for example, we are contractually obliged to react to each request within 15 minutes maximum. When you know that it takes about the same time to go from one end of the hemicycle to the other, you better be well organised! With teams deployed in all buildings, Equans has well-established procedures! Heads of State, ministers, parliamentarians, journalists or translators can rest easy.
Here we go again for 10 years!
In the wake of the current contracts for the Parliament and the EESC, the new contract concluded with the Council of the European Union will start in May 2023. It concerns 3 buildings in which we have been present for many years: the Justus Lipsius (former headquarters of the European Council and the Council of the European Union), the Europa (the new headquarters of the European Council and the Council of the European Union) and the LEX (an administrative building on the rue de la Loi).
With something new this time: the management of the technical equipment of the children's nursery located at chaussée de Louvain, starting from December 2023. In total, the 4 buildings cover an area of 356,068 m². In parallel with this contract, the Equans teams are also active in the Council's buildings as part of a completely different project. This involves setting up the PLAGE programme (the Local Action Plan for Energy Management in the Brussels Region). This will further improve the energy performance of these large buildings.