Energy
We produce in a CO2-neutral manner and create energy-neutral solutions for our clients
Heijmans wants to be CO2 neutral after 2023. To achieve this, we are putting a lot of effort into reducing our own emissions, on the basis of our own Energy Management Plan. We are doing this in four areas: mobility, equipment, construction sites and offices. You will find a detailed description of the results of the policy in section 7.2, bold statements 13 and 14.
Emission reduction solutions for our own business operations
Mobility
From 2023, employees can only choose electric cars for their lease contracts. We will shorten the current lease contracts for yellow-labelled, petrol-driven cars that still run beyond 2025 to a deadline of 31 December 2025. In addition, in the first quarter of 2022, all drivers of grey number plate buses that can use HVO 100 have been asked to use biodiesel. Around 600 of the yellow number plates at Heijmans, about 2,600 vehicles in total, are now electric. And 55.8% of all newly ordered cars are electric.
Equipment
An increasing number of projects are now subject to strict requirements regarding nitrogen and particulate emissions. In addition to CO2 reduction, Heijmans therefore also has to pay attention to these emissions, making it necessary to modify equipment. An interim option is to fit after-treatment systems to the equipment. For the longer term, Heijmans will need to use more electrically powered equipment. On this front, it helps if clients encourage the purchase of electric equipment, as the Ministry of Public Works and Waterways (Rijkswaterstaat) is doing with the contract for the Apeldoorn - Twello stretch of the A1 motorway, a major project for which electric equipment was explicitly included in the programme of requirements. Meanwhile, several small electrically powered pieces of equipment are now available. Heijmans also purchased some larger electrically powered equipment last year. From chainsaws and vibrating plates to excavators and forklift trucks: wherever possible, we are bidding farewell to combustion engines and switching to batteries. For some large equipment, such as crawlers or wire cranes, this means conversion to electric drives. This does require additional investments. However, the delivery of these pieces of equipment has been delayed because the supply chain for large-scale equipment has a limited supply of large-scale electric equipment, and we are being forced to convert existing fossil fuel-driven equipment and equip them with batteries. As a result, Heijmans is not yet seeing the impact sufficiently reflected in its emissions.
Building sites
The increase in electric equipment and transport also has implications for building sites, where Heijmans has to set up charging facilities. The point of attention here is that the electricity supply on the building site has to be equipped for this. To provide sufficient power, we regularly use battery packs of up to 500 kW. In addition, in the second quarter we decided to hybridise all small generators up to 35 kVA (with a battery and a small diesel engine) and to refuel all generators using HVO 100. To limit the pressure on the environment and on scarce space, we work with so-called hubs at several inner-city building sites. We use these locations, outside the city centre, for the concentrated distribution of goods and materials.
Offices
Although the Heijmans offices have a limited footprint, we have taken several measures in recent years to reduce it further. We have now installed solar panels on the offices where this possible. Last year, we also invested in the replacement of the remaining fluorescent lighting with LED lighting. We are also looking at making adjustments to the various office locations, as a result of the adjusted home-working policy and the related occupancy rate at our offices.
Emission-reduction solutions for our clients and users
Energy solutions
Heijmans offers solutions in the field of energy for various market segments. For example, for the construction, management and maintenance of energy networks (Heijmans Cables and Pipelines) and the development of energy solutions in area developments (Heijmans Energy). To make office buildings more sustainable (Heijmans Energy Services and Heijmans Non-residential Building), our Heijmans Energy Management service gives building owners and managers insight into their energy consumption, by proactively analysing and managing the energy consumption of the building. Armed with this information, clients can create an energy-efficient office and comply with all legal requirements.
Energy management is part of our ‘Futureproof Value’, an integrated approach that enables us to add the maximum value to housing, making sure a building is smart and healthy for its users, the environment and for the long term. Futureproof Value combines the following services: Circular Management and Maintenance, Sustainable Housing Roadmap, Sustainable Service Logistics and Energy Management. In 2023, we will expand this range of services to include propositions based on data-driven maintenance.