More sustainable infrastructure construction, where do we stand?

At APK Group, as a major player in the infrastructure sector, sustainability has been firmly established as part of our operations. As part of our sustainability policy, which is monitored by a sustainability manager, we optimistically look at how we can make our construction sites more ecological step by step. That is why we are now entering into a pilot project together with APK Group as contractor and Fluvius as client: to achieve maximum CO2 reduction on a concrete construction site.

The yard of the future

That yard will include replace as many machines as possible be by electric alternatives. However, APK Group already noted that not all the electrical equipment available on the market today is yet performant enough to carry out their works. Nevertheless, intensive research is being carried out into the possibilities that do currently exist, because every little helps.

Similarly, our many vans gradually replaced by electric variants as far as the payload combined with the range already allows at present. "Our vans will become partly electric, but for our trucks we cannot realise this today, the market is not ready for that yet.", says CEO Maarten Broens. "Together with Fluvius investigations we now also have the practical solutions to be able to charge all our electrical equipment with green electricity, preferably on our sites themselves. This is how we try to improve the way we work step by step more sustainable to make." 

Mapping consumption

All energy flows will be carefully mapped to compare the CO2 emissions of this test yard with a non-electric yard. To compare the feasibility of about CO2-friendly yard mapped at bring, both parties will evaluate the impact of electric work on their working methods and productivity to reach realistic agreements in the future.

"Working electrically in a yard requires additional logistical measures to ensure that everything gets charged in time. Additional safety measures to prevent overheating of batteries etc. The first steps towards a reduction of CO2 emissions of yards have been set with this pilot project, but to speak of a carbon-neutral yard at this point is still a bit premature.", fills sustainability manager of APK Group, Solange Bruno, to. Both APK Group and Fluvius are confident that the insights gained will help them to continue building 'smart', but certainly 'sustainable cities', together in the future.

Waterborne recycling streams

On 31 May, the VIAVIA-initiative with our Flemish minister for mobility & public works our site in Genk. In addition to an impressive selection of electrical equipment already used in infrastructure construction, it also featured logistics across our waterways in the spotlight. Madam secretary did not happen to drop by on this APK site working on the Albert Canal is located.

CEO Maarten Broens explained which benefits involved in waterborne transport:

• Flexibility: "Order today, sail the day after tomorrow and that without traffic jams."
• We also see that inland navigation is a economical solution can provide for our crushing services in Genk. Our recycling department namely, can reach customers who would not be financially viable via road.
• Conversely, we can also allow products from further afield to reach our site in Genk thanks to water-bound recycling streams, so that we can operate at very large yards our stock of raw materials can keep.
• The CO2 emissions by boat is also between 50-70% bearing than that same volume per truck.
• Finally, the most important benefit in the context of more sustainable mobility, is that such a ship of 3,500 tonnes corresponds to no less than 125 cargoes on public roads. So that means a lot fewer trucks on our busy roads again.