Inauguration of 80,000m² solar panel rooftop installation at Toyota Parts Centre Europe
On Wednesday 24 March 2010, Mr Tadashi Arashima, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe (TME), and Flemish Minister for Energy Freya Van den Bossche officially inaugurated the solar panel park on the roof of Toyota Parts Centre Europe (TPCE). Covering 80,000m², it is one of the largest thin-film solar panel rooftop installations in Belgium. The installation represents a total investment of over &euro7 million and will produce between 15% and 20% of the annual electricity requirements of the facility. As a result, TPCE will considerably reduce its CO2 emissions while also making significant savings on its energy bill.
In close cooperation with its partner, Blue Planet Solar NV, who financed, built and will operate the solar power installation, TME mounted 12,800 panels on the 80,000m² roof. With a peak power supply of 1.84 MW, the panels can produce 1,620 MWh/year. The CO2 saving is forecast to be 1,700 tonnes/year.
"I am delighted to wholeheartedly embrace another element of our 360° approach to Environmental Leadership", said Mr Arashima.
"Our ultimate aim to reach 'zero emissions' goes far beyond the use of the car. This solar panel installation corresponds perfectly with TME's drive towards sustainability across the entire lifecycle of its products."
"This project is a great example of how government support in combination with industry initiative results in innovative renewable energy projects. In this way, together, we can achieve our renewable energy targets, improve air quality and gain energy security", said Freya Van den Bossche, Flemish Minister for Energy. "The Flemish government is currently drafting its Renewable Energy Action Plan 2020, and welcomes this type of investment. Solar energy is a promising renewable energy source for the future".
Toyota adopts a holistic approach to its environmental activities. Its commitment to achieving sustainable development is the cornerstone of Toyota's Guiding Principles. These principles inform every aspect of the group's activities and business practices. TPCE's response to the environmental challenges started with the implementation of the ISO 14001 standard in 2001 and has continued ever since. Today's solar panel inauguration is another step forward in Toyota's continuous effort to achieve our aim of zero emissions.