‘You don’t pass on an opportunity like this.’
When a large business premises became available right across from Moens Mouldings in Beverwijk, the Netherlands, in 2015 Wim Moens knew exactly what he had to do. ‘This was a unique opportunity for us to expand without needing to relocate and also to transform those 10,000 m2 into the most sustainable factory in Europe.’
Since 2011, Moens Mouldings has doubled its turnover and production, so the extra space could be put to good use. But it was the opportunity to turn the new factory, named Werk 2, into a state-of-the-art example of sustainable production that appealed to Wim.
‘We know that sustainability has become an important factor, especially for our clients. So we spent a lot of time thinking about all the aspects of the infrastructure of this factory.’
State-of-the-art cooling system
Heat recovery, an innovative system for materials handling, and zero gas consumption: not one aspect was left out of the considerations. Wim is especially proud of the cooling system, which is an ingenious tour de force that uses free cooling. ‘Cooling systems are the biggest energy consumers in a factory,’ explains Wim. ‘This system uses process water in a closed system. We use the free cooling on the roof to cool the process water in the outside air.’
No use of tap water
The process water used in the cooling system is not tap water. Instead, specially treated water is used that ensures that the cooling system requires less maintenance. ‘It also extends the service life of the moulds of our
clients,’ states Wim.
