Tesla Battery Helps Belgian Cold-Storage Operator Become Carbon-Neutral

Cold-storage operator Luik Natie Group’s facility in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, is the first terminal in the port to receive a certificate designating it carbon-neutral, thanks to the country’s first installation of a 1.25MW Megapack battery from car manufacturer Tesla.

The carbon-neutral certificate was issued by CO2logic, a Belgian environmental consultancy, according to Steven Beuselinck, Commercial Manager at Luik Natie, during a Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) forum site visit on November 19.

The 100,000m² (1.1 million ft²) Luik Natie port terminal uses a refrigeration system that operates with a combination of ammonia/NH₃ (R717) and water (R718), said Beuselinck. Its main source of energy consists of 3,800 solar panels and wind terminals, backed up by the Tesla Megapack battery that was installed by energy provider Engie, according to an article on the Drive Tesla Canada website. Together the two renewable energy sources provide more than 4MW of energy.

The Megapack battery offers better coordination between energy production and consumption. It will store surplus energy, allowing the company to switch to reserves when there is insufficient energy supply from wind or sun.

“I sincerely hope that this collaboration between Engie and Luik Natie and the use of this battery in the transition to 100% sustainable energy supply can set an example for other companies in the port of Antwerp and in the rest of Flanders,” said Zuhal Demir, Minister for Justice and Enforcement, Environment, Energy and Tourism for the Belgian region of Flanders.

According to the Belgium publication Nieuwsblad, the project cost around €800,000 (US$903,000). The government contributed €168,000 (US$190,000). The remaining costs were financed by a third party.

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