Wienerberger, a leading producer of building materials, has set itself firm sustainable goals. To achieve these, the Zaltbommel-based company is going to work even more intensively with Ecorus.
Over the past year, Wienerberger and Ecorus have already developed 4 sites together that will be fully operational by mid-2024. Of these, the large-scale solar installations at the Kijfwaard plants is the most eye-catching. “The implementation of solar energy at Kijfwaard perfectly illustrates our joint efforts,” says Bauke Bakker, CCO of Ecorus. A total of no less than 5,598 solar panels were installed on the roof of the factories, an area of almost two soccer fields. The energy goes directly to the factory where nearly 300,000 bricks are produced every day. The solar panels thus make an important contribution to Wienerberger’s desire to make its energy management more sustainable.
Wienerberger continuously invests in new developments. It looks at how raw materials can be reused and how the service life of products can be extended. In Wienerberger’s sustainable strategy, the sun plays an important role. “Sustainability fits the products we make. In cooperation with Ecorus, we aim to maximize the use of our roofs for solar energy, a key aspect of our sustainability strategy,” explained Peter van der Vliet of Wienerberger. The current solar energy projects contribute to a significant increase in the sustainability of Wienerberger’s electricity consumption, fully in line with its ambition to meet 63% of its energy needs sustainably.
In addition to the project in Kijfwaard, around 6 MW of solar power capacity is now being installed at other sites. Each of these are technically challenging projects because they take place on the roofs of active plants. “We apply the highest safety standards, which is crucial when working in such complex environments,” explains Bauke Bakker. Ecorus not only takes care of the development, construction and maintenance of these solar installations, but also provides the financing.
The cooperation between Ecorus and Wienerberger symbolizes the synergy between industrial innovation and sustainability. It can go hand in hand. “With these projects we underline the importance of renewable energy in the transition to a greener future. And at the same time, we set the bar high for future initiatives in the sector,” concludes Peter van der Vliet.
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