As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Damen Shipyards Group is having solar panels installed at a number of its Dutch yards. Collectively, the installations will provide approximately 12 MW clean electricity per year.
Project manager, Gerard Kornet, of Damen explains, “At Damen, we always take a long-term view. It’s part of our culture as a family company, we want to ensure the sustainability of the business for the next generation. This means that what we do has to be both profitable and in tune with the environment in which we operate. We have a very strong focus on this and are continually considering initiatives that can contribute to a sustainable maritime industry.”
The project will see 42,000 solar panels installed on the rooftops of production facilities at eight Damen shipyards in the Netherlands. Collectively, the panels will cover some 75,000m 2 and generate 13% of the energy required by Damen’s annual operations in the country.
The first yard to be installed with the panels is Damen Shipyards Gorinchem West. It will be followed by Damen Dredging Equipment Nijkerk and Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld by the end of August. By the end of the year Damen Maaskant Shipyard Stellendam and Amels will also follow, with Damen Verolme, Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem East both undergoing installation before the end of 2020.
This, however, is just the tip of the iceberg, as Gerard explains, “We are further developing the programme with the intention of assessing the viability of rolling out more solar panels – as well as wind energy – to our other shipyards, not only in the Netherlands, but also internationally. Wherever we are working in the world, we are committed to making sure our operations are as clean as can be.”