In the presence of Wim Dries, Mayor of Genk, SABIC, ENGIE Belgium, and Solarge officially unveiled this unique solar PV rooftop installation, which will generate 2,000 MWh annually and reduce CO emissions by 800 tons per year.
The inauguration began with a joint press event where Genk's Mayor, Wim Dries, voiced his pride in the city's dedication to renewable energy.
"In Genk, we are strongly committed to renewable energy and are taking several initiatives to stimulate solar energy in our city. For both individuals and companies, we encourage every investment. This one from SABIC is of course unique. I am therefore proud that these innovative solar panels are on a Genk roof. A win-win for the company and the entire city: sustainable energy is generated, and we all benefit from reduced CO2 emissions," enthused Dries.
Vincent Verbeke, CEO of ENGIE Belgium, underscored the company's dedication to innovative renewable energy solutions, noting the lightweight, circular solar panels as an ideal fit for factory roofs. He also outlined ENGIE's target of installing 300 MW of solar capacity across Belgium by 2030.
"ENGIE constantly monitors the latest developments in the field of renewable energy, because we want to be able to offer our customers the best available technologies for reducing their CO2 emissions. Our R&D centre Laborelec identified these circular, lightweight solar panels as the best in class. They offer a smart solution for roofs with limited load-bearing capacity, typically at large factory buildings. ENGIE is already poised to further roll out this technology to customers across Belgium, as part of working toward our goal of having 300 MW of solar installations in service at businesses by 2030," said Vincent Verbeke, CEO of ENGIE Belgium.
The next item on the agenda was a site visit to the solar PV system on the roof of the SABIC facility. From there, we could spot 4,599 panels covering a total surface area of 13,600 m2.
Each panel weighs less than 7 kg per m² and generates approximately 2,000 MWh of electricity annually equivalent to the average yearly consumption of nearly 700 households. This system is expected to reduce SABIC's carbon emissions by 800 tons of CO annually for at least the next 25 years.
One distinctive feature of these featherweight solar panels is that they are made up of entirely separable layers, allowing for easy disassembly and reuse of all components. Utilising innovative polymers produced by SABIC in Genk, this PV installation contains no glass and minimal aluminium, making it half the weight of conventional panels and reducing its carbon footprint by 25%.
Lada Kurelec, General Manager Polymers T&I at SABIC, highlighted the project's focus on sustainability, particularly in promoting material circularity and carbon neutrality.
"This achievement is a great example of bringing together SABIC's differentiated material development expertise together in a value chain collaboration with other leaders in their fields. This project embodies two key sustainability drivers for SABIC; innovating for material circularity together with driving toward carbon neutrality. This also reaffirms SABIC's commitment to drive the energy transition toward renewable power through both material applications and reducing the manufacturing carbon footprint" remarked Lada Kurelec, General Manager Polymers T&I at SABIC.
Jan Vesseur, CEO of Solarge, stated that European manufacturers are making a significant impact through their commitment to innovation and sustainability. He stressed Solarge's aim to accelerate the energy transition with sustainable, PFAS-free, and recyclable solar panels while planning to expand capacity in the Netherlands and the United States. The focus will be on weight-restricted roofs within the commercial and industrial sectors to optimise rooftop usage and reduce pressure on energy grids.
"We are showing that European manufacturers are making a difference by betting on innovation and sustainability. Solarge's ambition is to accelerate the energy transition worldwide with sustainable, PFAS-free solar panels that are also recyclable at the end of their useful life. To that end, we are working to expand our capacity in the Netherlands and the United States. Our focus market is the C&I market, specifically weight-restricted roofs. With this we unlock a huge additional potential of roofs for the use of solar panels by owners and users. In addition, we are also helping to relieve the energy grid that is overloaded in many places" asserted Jan Vesseur, CEO of Solarge.
Thank you to ENGIE, SABIC and Solarge for the invitation to be part of the inauguration of this pioneering project.
