Vandersanden Officially Launches First In-house Wind Turbine
The next big step in achieving our sustainability goals
Lanklaar, 2nd December 2022 - Brick producer Vandersanden officially launched its first in-house wind turbine at its site in Lanklaar. The mayor of Lanklaar, Sofie Vandeweerd (Open-Vld), Raf Jansen (COO at Vandersanden) and Wim Thewissen (Group Manager of Sustainability at Vandersanden) were present. "I am enormously pleased with this beautiful and symbolic moment: the next step to achieve our sustainability ambitions," says Raf Jansen. The wind turbine will provide 10,000 MWh of green energy annually, the equivalent of the energy consumption of 2,000 families.
Building a green future
Brick producer Vandersanden today officially launched its own wind turbine at its site in Lanklaar. In doing so, the family business continues to build on a green future. In recent years, Vandersanden has already invested in solar panels and the use of cogeneration to generate heat and electricity, among other things. This wind turbine fits within Vandersanden's sustainability strategy. The mayor of Lanklaar Sofie Vandeweerd (Open-Vld), Raf Jansen (COO at Vandersanden) and Wim Thewissen (Group Manager of Sustainability at Vandersanden) were present at this official commissioning.
Step towards CO2-neutral production
"I am extremely pleased with this beautiful and symbolic moment: the next big step to achieve our sustainability ambitions,"says Raf Jansen, COO at Vandersanden. "It is thanks to good cooperation with the partners involved, and with the support of the town and the provincial government that we can take this important step towards CO2-neutral production in 2050."
"Making our production processes as sustainable as possible is the top priority at Vandersanden," says Wim Thewissen, Group Manager of Sustainability at Vandersanden. "After all, we don't think in years, but in generations. Since renewable energy is the future, it is a logical next step for us to use wind energy as a sustainable energy source, in addition to solar energy. I am therefore immensely proud to celebrate this milestone today with all those present."
This is an important step towards CO2-neutral production in 2050.
Respecting the neighbourhood
Vandersanden chose a wind turbine with minimal noise pollution. In addition, the installation will be equipped with a system that measures and limits the impact of cast shadows on all neighbouring buildings, to a maximum of 30 minutes per day. Drop shadow occurs when the sun shines against the blades of the wind turbine. As the blades of the wind turbine move, so does the shadow, which could be a nuisance to nearby residents.
"I am extremely honoured to be present at the commissioning of Vandersanden's first wind turbine here in Lanklaar," said Sofie Vandeweerd, the town's mayor. "For more than 15 years, the company has made great efforts in the field of sustainability. The wind turbine is not only a new step forward for them, but for the entire sector. With it, Vandersanden offers inspiration to other companies in the region. I look forward to the next initiatives Vandersanden will take in the field of CO2 neutrality."
Annual production of 10,000 MWh
In November 2021, Vandersanden started preparatory works on its site for the installation of the wind turbine. All construction elements, such as the mast sections and rotor blades, were delivered in April and the installation was fully completed in early May.
The wind turbine will provide 10,000 MWh of energy annually. That is equivalent to the energy consumption of about 2,000 families. Over 50% of this generated energy will be used for Vandersanden's activities at its site in Lanklaar. The remainder will be offered to the grid as green electricity.
Press contacts
- FINN: Emma Klein - emma.klein@finn.agency, +32 487 73 00 30
- Vandersanden: Nathali Donatz - n.donatz@vandersanden.com, +32 89 51 01 59, +31 6 23 36 73 45
Together to Zero
Together to Zero is our promise to be CO2-free in our operations and production by 2050. Together with our partners, we make this happen in several areas, reflected in eight domains. We are using concrete steps to reduce our CO2 emissions to zero. It is a challenge we take on together.
