Reduced energy consumption

"Our company strives to achieve continuous reduction and elimination of energy consumption. Key points of the policy atVandersanden locations in Belgium and the Netherlands (Bilzen, Lanklaar, Hekelgem, Hedikhuizen and Spijk) are:

• continuous effort towards improvement of energy performance
• prevention of incidents that lead to unnecessarily higher energy consumption
• compliance with legislation and regulations and other established requirements
• updating the Energy Saving Plan on a regular basis
• commitment to implementation of the Energy Saving Plan

The management also informs the employees concerning the established, implemented policy objectives in order to achieve energy savings."
                                                                                      J.P. Wuytack - General Director

We opt for AlpEnergy, a 100% renewable energy source. Thanks to this green alternative, electricity is produced by hydroelectric power stations in the Alps, enabling Vandersanden to reduce its ecological footprint.

In this manner our company intends to position itself as a key player in sustainable development and demonstrates that it puts its claims of respect for the environment into practice.

This engagement also stimulates European development of new infrastructure for generating renewable energy, which in turn contributes to reduced production of greenhouse gases.
AlpEnergy is produced in the Rhône estuary in France by the nineteen hydroelectric dams operated by the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) as well as the seven units of the Société Hydroélectrique du Midi (SHEM). Their electricity production is guaranteed to be 100% sustainable and is certified by German accreditation body TÜV SÜD.

By choosing AlpEnergy, Vandersanden emphasises its commitment to more responsible use of natural resources.

Watch the movie about Vandersanden and Alpenergy below:

Vandersanden has invested in Combined Heat and Power plants in its two factories, in Spouwen and Lanklaar.

These CHP plants consist of an alternator driven by a 16-cylinder natural gas engine. The energy in the consumed gas is converted into both electricity and heat. The energy in the warm air is not wasted however, because it is used to dry the bricks and heat the factory.

If the electricity fails in the main booth, the CHP system can also keep the kilns and drying chambers in operation. The CHP plant runs during production hours and supplies no less than 80% of the required power during the day.

This not only allows us to save energy but also results in a reduction of CO2 emissions.

Vandersanden optimises its computer-controlled kilns and dryers using the very latest process control technologies. This investment has allowed us to achieve the following savings:
-lower natural gas consumption in the kilns through improved heat transfer between the combustion gases and bricks
-more efficient use of the cooling air in our drying process so that here too we are able to burn as little additional natural gas as possible.