The two rest areas at the Berchem area are among the motorway service stations with the highest turnover in the world. The current concessions for the operation of these installations expire next April 2025. New concessions will be awarded for the period from May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2029. The call for tenders each time includes a service station, a shop and a restaurant. They form a package. One per direction of traffic.
A 36-page contract regulates the services
The requirements placed on future operators are detailed and specific. The concession contract alone is 36 pages long. While some conditions are self-evident, others may come as a surprise.
Among the most important obligations, one can expect that rest areas are always in perfect condition, are regularly modernized and operate smoothly around the clock. In addition, operators must implement Free parking spaces, play areas and sanitary facilities with showers and changing tables are available 24 hours a day. Restaurants are required to offer hot menus every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Alcohol only up to a certain percentage
This condition is certainly less known: operators must undertake not to sell drinks with an alcohol content greater than 15%. And sustainability becomes an obligation: operators must install photovoltaic panels on all technically usable roof surfaces in order to contribute to the energy transition.
Rest areas are also of particular importance in the event of a blackout, a nationwide power outage. In such a situation, dealers are required to ensure fuel supply for priority services, as long as fuel reserves stored on site are sufficient.
When the lights go out in Luxembourg
To do this, dealers must have backup generators and adapt the infrastructure to enable autonomous fuel distribution. In addition, a minimum reserve of 100,000 liters of diesel and 25,000 liters of gasoline is prescribed. In the event of a blackout, fuel can only be distributed to priority services defined by the government. Other services can then be reduced to the strict minimum.
To guarantee these obligations, a practical exercise must be organized each year. This involves testing the capacity to ensure the supply of priority services.
The price is hot
An essential element of the call for tenders is the financial participation of the concessionaires. In addition to a monthly fee for the use of gas stations, shops and restaurants, a percentage of turnover is also paid to the Luxembourg state. This concerns both the sale of fuel and revenue from shops and restaurants.
The amount of the percentage paid is a central criterion for the choice of future operators, being faithful to the following principle: the higher the percentage, the better.
This article was originally published on the website of Luxembourg word.
Adaptation: Christophe Lemaire
