Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
Moreover, numerous clever ways have been devised to minimize energy consumption, such as reusing heat. With industrial and port area De Europoort in Rotterdam as their home base, all ingredients and products have to travel a lot less distance, thus limiting CO2 emissions. The ingredients that still need to travel miles will get an elevator in the world's first electric and emission-free trucks. If all goes according to plan, the Blender will soon reduce innocent's overall carbon footprint by 10 percent. Plenty of natural light, optimal air quality and sophisticated temperature control will also make the new building a great place to work for employees and the world's first WELL-certified factory.
Blender should become the example of a sustainable factory and encourage other companies to go the extra mile when they build their own. The first bottles should roll off the production line this fall. Whereas Schipper Vloeren realized the substructure of the Blender, B-Built is taking care of the entire superstructure. "As co-builder of innocent drinks, we are responsible for, among other things, the steel structure, floor floors, interior walls, windows and doors, roofing and facade finishing," explains project manager Willie Lievense. "Meanwhile, construction has progressed for 90%. Next summer we will deliver our work."
"Using the aesthetic designs as a foundation and working closely with our partner Van den Brink Staalbouw, we co-engineered the steel structure," says Lievense. "Then we were also awarded the rest of the superstructure. The steel structure had to be realized in a record time of 10 weeks. A considerable challenge for a distribution center of almost 20,000 m², in which we succeeded excellently, however. A truss construction with large spans provides large and freely divisible spaces. Moreover, we ensured an optimal connection of the roof and facade coverings."
The entire roof of the Blender will be provided with steel roof panels with insulation and roofing. The exterior and interior walls of the new building will be constructed with sandwich panels. A deliberate choice, according to Lievense, because this allows a well-insulated facade to be realized in a short time, without the risk of cold bridges. "Some of the sandwich panels are fire-resistant and have a rock wool insulation core," he explains. "On the exterior walls, horizontal sandwich panels from Kingspan are mounted, which are invisibly fixed and filled with a Polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid foam. This is a perfect match for innocent drinks' CO2-neutral ambition.
In fact, by choosing sandwich panels, significant savings can be made in materials, labor and thus CO2." The choice of a steel structure also ties in with this. "This is because almost 80% of the construction consists of sustainable and recyclable materials. Of all building materials, we record exactly what, where, how and why we apply it."
When the production building and associated warehouse are completed next summer, innocent drinks will have a high-quality new building with high insulation values. Among other things, this will keep energy consumption down, Lievense said. "For the energy demand that remains, sustainable energy sources such as our own solar panels and off-site wind turbines will be used. These installations will be added at a later stage." A few weeks before completion, he looks back on a pleasant but also very challenging project. Partly because of the short lead times. "Thanks to good cooperation and coordination with Van den Brink Staalbouw, Mucon and all other construction partners, however, we were able to make this project another success, resulting in a very satisfied client."
Project info
Over 60 tons of stainless steel pipe bridges
The Blender, innocent drinks' new smoothie factory in Rotterdam, will soon produce some 400 million bottles of chilled juice a year. Smart, efficient, sustainable and with minimal CO2 emissions.
To transport all liquids through the plant, an extensive pipeline network is constructed. These pipelines are supported by stainless steel pipe racks. On behalf of co-builder B-Built, GP Stainless Group handled the design, production and assembly of the custom pipe racks. "B-Built was looking for a skilled and flexible partner with short lines of communication and short lead times. But also for a company with enough clout, to realize projects of this size in a short time frame," says Peter Keizer, co-owner of GP Stainless Group. "Based on the building drawings and layout sketches, we created the design and production drawings for all the pipe bridges. Because of the high quality and food safety requirements, stainless steel was chosen instead of steel. In a time frame of 12 weeks, we processed over 60 tons of stainless steel. Only 5 weeks after the project award, the first line was already delivered and suspended from the roof structure."
Project info
Significant business card
innocent drinks' Blender will be one of the first CO2-neutral food factories in the world. "To make that possible, the complex is all-electric with boilers and heat pumps," says Robbert Janzen, project manager on behalf of Van den Pol Elektrotechniek. "This requires a substantially dimensioned energy installation. All required energy is generated by renewable sources, including an on-site solar farm and off-site wind turbines. We optimally coordinate both elements - energy use and generation."
Confidence in expertise
In addition to the complete low-voltage installation and lighting, Van den Pol also realizes all power supplies for the machines. "Thanks to our specialism in industrial automation, we are familiar with the specific requirements of food production. A must in a project like this. The client has a lot of confidence in our expertise; that works nicely."
Most sustainable in the Netherlands
With the energy-neutral smoothie plant on the Maasvlakte, innocent drinks emphasizes its sustainable ambitions, taking the three Ps (People, Planet and Profit) to the highest level. "It is also a significant calling card for Van den Pol," states Janzen. "It fits its profile as the most sustainable installer in the Netherlands. We have been installing zero-in-the-meter homes for quite some time. But the fact that we are already building a CO2-neutral factory was unthinkable just a few years ago. It shows how sustainability is accelerating."
Construction Info
Construction Management Integrated Food Projects (GB)
Architect Van Aken Architects
Chief Structural Engineer Aronsohn
Co-builder substructure Schipper Flooring
Co-builder superstructure B-Built
Steel Construction Van den Brink Steel Construction, Barneveld
Walls Mucon Benelux, Etten-Leur
Floor Systems Ruys Flooring
