The logistics real estate company WDP plans to cover the roof of a new logistics centre on a 150,000 m² surface in the port of Ghent with solar panels. This would make the installation the "largest solar roof in Europe", according to the company.
"It will be the largest solar park on the roof of a single building," said CEO Joost Uwents. "Of course, there aren't many 150,000 m² buildings either. The even larger solar parks in Europe are located on the ground."
The investment, amounting to €20 million, is being carried out without subsidies. WDP wants to fully commit to solar energy and produce a total of 250 MWp by 2025 on all its buildings. In 2022, 55 MWp will be installed and by 2023, the new solar roof is expected to bring the total capacity to around 150 MWp, roughly the average annual energy consumption of 40,000 households.
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According to the company the total investment of €40 million– spread over all its locations – will be profitable, even if the electricity produced will not be used by the company itself. "We can't use the energy locally but will inject it into the grid," said Uwents.
The solar roof will be located in Kluizendok, where a multimodal logistics park is being built.
