Van Leeuwen switches to solar power

A solar panel installation with a 5-megawatt peak capacity was put into operation at Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands.

With solar panels covering a total area of 23,500m2, the company will be able to provide green energy to all its branches in the Netherlands and Belgium, Kallanish hears. In addition, it will return sufficient power to the grid for 300 households in the Netherlands.

The solar photovoltaic installation is part of the sustainability strategy at Van Leeuwen, with several steps already taken. Examples are replacing the lighting in the warehouses by LED and reducing the use of natural gas by over 60%. In the Netherlands, the Van Leeuwen trucks have started running on HVO100 fuel, making the distribution CO2 neutral. In various other branches in Europe too, projects have been launched to install solar panels on the roofs.

The official ceremony in Zwijndrecht was performed by the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende.

Christian Koehl Germany