Vopak Vlaardingen, located in the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, has commissioned an e-boiler, saving approximately 3,500 tonnes of CO2 (equivalent to the gas consumption and CO2 emissions of approximately 2,000 households).
‘Vopak’s infrastructure plays an important role in the Netherlands, both in terms of energy security and in the energy transition. With this e-boiler, we can fulfil our role in a more sustainable way. We would like to thank everyone involved, both inside and outside Vopak, who helped make this happen,’ says Walter Moone, president Vopak Netherlands.
The commissioning of the e-boiler fits in seamlessly with the sustainability ambitions of Vopak Vlaardingen. The terminal specialises in the storage of vegetable oils and fats, in the form of food products and (feedstocks for) biofuels. The terminal has been running on green electricity since 2021, which means the e-boiler will be operating at CO2 neutral. In addition, the e-boiler will reduce the pressure on the national electricity grid by using the e-boiler at full capacity as soon as an abundance of wind and/or solar energy is available on the grid and storing the heat for use at a later time.
In 2023, 16 new tanks were installed to safely store waste-based vegetable/animal raw materials for the production of biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel. It is expected that the demand for these more sustainable fuels will grow in Europe.
Koen Kegel, alderman at the Municipality of Vlaardingen, says: ‘The municipality of Vlaardingen is proud of companies like Vopak that take responsibility for reducing their own CO2 emissions. The new electric boiler plays a major role in this. This innovation saves an amount of gas that is equivalent to the consumption of thousands of households.’
