Vomar Voordeelmarkt is in Alkmaar began installing over 4,000 solar panels on the roof of its distribution centre. According to general manager Aart van Haren, the solar panels have a beneficial effect on product prices.
From the distribution centre, which is located on the industrial estate De Boekelermeer in Alkmaar, 65 shops are supplied in the working area between Den Helder, Noordwijk, Almere and Utrecht. The building, with a total area of 41,000 square metres, also includes a bakery, return centre and butchery.
When it became clear that the roofing needed replacing, Vomar Voordeelmarkt decided to install solar panels on the DC. At peak times, these will supply energy directly to the distribution centre. The solar panels cover an area of 18 thousand square metres, equivalent to about four football fields in size. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October. The panels will generate 1 million kWh of electricity annually. That is enough to power more than 300 single-family houses for one year. The cost of the project is €1.3 million.
The project is being developed by Hoorne Vastgoed, sister company of Vomar Voordeelmarkt, and MEC from Bodegraven. Geotherm Energy Systems from Bunschoten is the executing party. The sheer size alone makes this a challenging project, says general manager Aart van Haren of Vomar Voordeelmarkt: "We are going to make the best of it in a sustainable way with the parties involved. The installation of solar panels will have a positive impact on our pricing and also on the environment, which will be less burdened."
Reducing transports
Vomar already focused on sustainability in logistics and transport. For example, it uses trucks with three temperature zones. They transport frozen, refrigerated and unrefrigerated products to the shops in a single trip from Alkmaar. As a result, the number of transports was greatly reduced and CO2 emissions decreased by 73 per cent.
The distribution centre also plays an important role in the separate collection and processing of industrial waste. This is incinerated in a nearby plant that supplies energy back to the distribution centre.
Vomar is not the only one
Other distribution centres are also putting solar panels on their roofs. Logistics service provider Nedcargo, for example, wants to equip the new distribution centre to be built in Alphen aan den Rijn with solar panels. The company wants to use the entire roof of the distribution centre to become energy-neutral. The area will accommodate over 16,000 solar panels that will generate around 4.5 megawatts of electricity. The total energy generated will be more than the distribution centre needs.
Nedcargo expects the distribution centre to be up and running within two years. The company plans to supply the solar power it retains to Alpherium, the container port in Alphen aan den Rijn where the centre will be located. There are already several electrically powered cranes there. Local SMEs, other Nedcargo customers and private individuals also benefit from the generated energy. In addition to the hoisting cranes, the container port has already indicated that vehicles that help tranship containers will also be electrically powered.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
Image: Installation of solar panels on Vomar's distribution centre in Alkmaar (photo Michel van Bergen)
