NMC and Luminus inaugurate the largest photovoltaic installation of the German-language community
Luminus installed 6,816 solar panels on the premises of NMC at Eynatten. This installation was inaugurated on 10 September in the presence of Oliver Paasch, Minister-President of the German-speaking Community, and Hans-Dieter Laschet, Mayor of Raeren. It is one of the most important ground-mounted installations ever realised with private capital in Wallonia and fits in with Luminus‘ climate strategy and NMC’s global sustainable development policy.
One of the largest installations of Wallonia funded with own capital
Luminus installed 3,120 solar panels on a 1.4 ha site of NMC at Raeren in cooperation with Dauvister, its subsidiary specialised in photovoltaic installations. An additional 3,696 solar panels were installed on the roofs of four warehouses of the company, next to the 2,000 existing panels. This means that the site now has nearly 9,000 panels installed, representing a capacity of 1,250 kWp on rooftops and 1,000 kWp on the ground.
The energy generated by these solar panels will be used entirely to cover the company’s own consumption. On the basis of 1,000 operating hours per year, the panels will cover 18% of the site’s total energy consumption
(of 12,700 MWh/year).
Environmental protection and ecological management
The annual production of this new installation amounts to 1,995,000 Kwh, i.e. the equivalent of the consumption of 400 families. The installation will reduce CO2 emission by close to 500 tonnes annually (the equivalent of the pollution caused by 133 cars driving 25,000 km/year on the basis of 150 g of CO2/km).
Comfort and protection for a better life, the societal commitment of NMC
NMC is an international market leader in the field of development, production and marketing of synthetic foam. The installation of the solar panels fits in with the company‘s global sustainable development policy. For NMC, the efficient use of resources like water and electricity is equally important as its permanent contribution to the protection of the environment via a strict reduction of waste, a recycling rate of almost 100%, air purification and the protection of water resources. NMC pays the utmost attention to both the protection of the environment and the company’s ecological management. The choice of renewable forms of energy fits in perfectly with this ambition.
Hubert Bosten, CEO of MNC: “The vision of NMC the preservation of natural resources through improved insulation, to the protection of goods during transport and to the creation of enjoyable spaces with well-designed elements and improved acoustic insulation. The investment in solar energy is completely in line with our vision and complements the other actions we are undertaking to reduce our environmental footprint.”
The fight against global warming: everyone’s concern
For EDF Luminus, the fight against global warming is a daily concern. EDF Luminus has been investing in renewable energy production for more than 60 years. The company has been investing in wind power since 2001 and its wind farm is constantly growing. With its 171 wind turbines, EDF Luminus produces almost 884 GWh of renewable energy in Belgium each year. The company is the leader in the field of onshore wind energy and has the ambition to increase its installed capacity to more than 600 MW by 2021.
CEO of EDF Luminus Grégoire Dallemagne: “This installation confirms the intention of NMC to do business in a sustainable manner. In Dauvister, a subsidiary of the EDF Luminus Group, the company has found an innovative and experienced partner to participate in the development of this project. This initiative is in line with our strategy to offer our customers efficient energy solution in order to help them reduce their energy consumption and to actively combat the climate change."
About NMC
The NMC story begins in 1950, when the entrepreneur Gert Noël founded NMC in a small village in Belgium and started trading in the post-war period. Today, NMC has grown to a leading and growth oriented international company specialised in synthetic foams and serving customers around the globe with presence in 16 countries. The Management of NMC pursues this growth strategy based on customer proximity, innovation, geographic extension, and partnerships. Gaining experience over time, we developed great competence in the extrusion of synthetic foams and identifi ed more and more business areas in which our products provide comfort and protection for a better
life. Our values and the Noël heritage are the foundation of our growth ambitions in modern times.
The NMC Group reached a turnover of 250 million euro in 2017 and currently employs 1.650 collaborators in Europe. The main production site located in Eynatten, Belgium, generated a turnover of 115 million euro with 500 collaborators.
