Two wind turbines to be constructed at Toyota's Zeebrugge Vehicle Logistics Centre in Belgium

Toyota's Vehicle Logistics Centre (VLC) in Zeebrugge, Belgium will soon feature two wind turbines. Scheduled for completion by early 2013, the wind energy generated will feed directly to the public grid.

The Port of Zeebrugge Authority, MBZ, recently approved construction plans for the turbines on the premises of Toyota's Zeebrugge VLC. This joint project with Evelop Belgium will contribute towards the Port Authority's broader wind energy plan at the port. Today's announcement means Toyota will be among the first operators at the inner port to support this initiative. Each wind turbine will be capable of generating 3 MW of electricity, and a combined annual capacity of 17.1 GWh.

Wind energy provider, Evelop Belgium — part of the Dutch energy group Eneco, will construct and maintain both wind turbines at Toyota's Zeebrugge VLC. Eneco Group has constructed 52 wind turbines in Belgium with an energy output in excess of 100 MW, and 300 MW in Europe.

Koen Vandersteegen, Regional Manager for Vehicle Logistics at TME, said: "This project is part of our long-term aim to ensure sustainability of our operations. As an automotive company, we remain committed to contributing positively to the environment. The wind turbines are only the most recent in a series of environmental projects we have implemented to improve our environmental performance."

Today's announcement comes just over a year after the inauguration of 80,000 m² of solar panels at Toyota Parts Centre Europe in Diest, Belgium. The solar panels are amongst the largest in Belgium and produce between 15% and 20% of the annual electricity requirements of the facility. Since 2007, Toyota facilities in Belgium are 100% powered by Green Energy.

Starting operations in January 2001, the Zeebrugge VLC currently occupies 460,000 m², following an expansion project in 2003. The hub is one of nine Toyota logistics centres in Europe to be awarded the ISO 14001 certification for environmental management. The Zeebrugge VLC reached a milestone in March when it distributed the 3-millionth vehicle after its first decade of operations