Damen Vlissingen goes for all-green electricity for the first time this year

The Vlissingen-based Damen companies are hoping for sunny but not too hot weather from now on. After all, those are the days when solar panels are at their most efficient. At Vlissingen-Oost last November and December, 2,992 panels were installed on the roof of assembly hall 2 and on buildings 47 and 48 next to Damen Naval’s assembly hall 1.

“The solar panels are part of our plans to go green,” says Kees Maas, Environmental Coordinator at the Royal Schelde Group, which includes all of Damen’s Vlissingen operations. “At Vlissingen-Oost, we consume around 10 million kilowatt hours a year. The solar panels generate about 13% of the electricity we need. The electricity generated is used directly in the halls for lighting, heating and production.”

The remaining electricity supply will be more sustainable from this year onwards. A new energy contract for natural gas and electricity has been concluded for the whole of Damen NL with Vattenfall. In doing so, the Vlissingen-based Damen companies have opted for 100% green electricity. The office in Schiedam is also 100% green.

There are plans for increasing the sustainability of operations even further; for example, the option of heating the Head Office in Vlissingen with heat pumps is being considered. “But there we still have a challenge with the available capacity from the electricity grid,” Kees explains. He adds that Damen Vlissingen is very concerned with the future and how the companies can do their bit. “In doing so, we apply the Trias Energetica: that is first reducing energy demand by, for example, taking energy-saving measures, then using more sustainable energy, and finally using fossil fuels as efficiently and cleanly as possible.”

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