The sun is becoming an increasingly important part of Alkion Terminals’ energy supply, as part of their company-wide commitment to sustainability. With the installation of solar panels, Alkion is taking meaningful steps towards the goals outlined in our ESG Report. In the past few years, Alkion terminals – Vado Ligure (ATVL) in Italy and Lisbon (ATL) in Portugal – have installed solar panels that now provide a significant amount of energy for the terminals.
ATVL was the first Alkion terminal to generate its own solar energy, having completed their solar panel installation in 2018. ATVL terminal manager Alessandro Sisti says: “Our solar panels were built on the rooftops of our operational buildings, an optimal usage of square footage that wasn’t being utilised otherwise.” The numbers speak for themselves: in the first year, ATVL produced 504 MWh of solar energy, which allowed for a reduction in energy purchases amounting to an average yearly saving of 37,5 percent per month.
In December 2021, ATL installed their own solar panels, which now provide more than 50 percent of the terminal’s energy consumption. And that’s just the beginning, according to ATL terminal manager Diogo Godinho: “This year we have already approved CAPEX for the second stage of their solar panel project, expanding their energy production even further.”
The energy produced by ATVL and ATL isn’t just for their own consumption. Godinho: “The surplus energy is sold and injected into the power grid, providing green energy for our community and additional revenue for the company.” The solar panels also allow ATVL and ATL to operate more independently from the unpredictable energy market and its volatile price changes.
Sisti of ATVL elaborates on these sustainability efforts: “We have to take care of our future. We have to show, as Alkion Terminals, that we are part of this change. And then additionally, these changes also have a positive impact on our business and our customers.”
ATL and ATVL have shown the many benefits of producing green solar energy, and their success is inspiring others: in Spain, Alkion Terminal Santander is currently exploring the possibility of installing solar panels, and more solar panels will become operational in Alkion Terminals around Europe in the future.
For more information visit www.alkion.com
