NYK subsidiary begins wind power generation at finished-vehicle logistics terminal in Belgium
On February 5, 11 wind turbines started operation on the grounds of a finished-vehicle logistics terminal owned and operated by International Car Operators N.V. (ICO), a wholly owned NYK subsidiary company operating in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium. This installation is Flanders largest onshore wind farm project, according to the company's release.
To operate the wind-power generation business at the finished-vehicle logistics terminal in Zeebrugge, ICO has established the joint-venture company ICO Windpark NV together with Portfineco and ENGIE. Portfineco is a subsidiary company of the Port of Zeebrugge, and ENGIE is a worldwide reference group for carbon neutral energy and services.
The wind turbines were designed and installed with due consideration for the surrounding environment. The 11 units have a total capacity of 44 MW, which will cover the entire annual power demand at the terminal. Surplus power will be sold.
According to Svein Steimler, chairman of ICO and ICO Windpark, ICO wants to be not only the largest RORO terminal in the world but also the greenest terminal through initiatives such as the use of wind turbines, solar panels on the PDI centers, water-recovery systems for the car wash (washing 500 cars with only 20 liters of rainwater), heat pumps for heating buildings, LED lights for terminal lighting, EV shuttle cars, and at a later stage cold ironing for ships.
In the future, NYK will consider utilizing the knowledge cultivated at Zeebrugge for finished-vehicle logistics terminals operated by NYK Group companies throughout the world.
On February 3, 2021, NYK announced the NYK Group ESG Story, which aims to further integrate ESG into the company’s management strategy and promotes activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) through business activities, including the installation of wind turbines, which is part of the operation of "green terminals."
International Car Operators N.V. (ICO)
ICO, a wholly owned NYK subsidiary company in Belgium, operates terminals for finished vehicles in the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp, two important hubs for importing and exporting finished vehicles in Europe. In addition to its cargo handling service, ICO provides value-added services such as inspection before car delivery and installation of accessories.
