PRESS RELEASE 20-04-23
In the presence of Minister Lydia Peeters, Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, the inauguration of the Europe Inland Logistics 21 site in Laakdal/Meerhout took place on Thursday, April 20th. The site is located along the E313 and the Albert Canal, next to the premises of Nike. The brand-new 32,000 m² building, developed by Heylen Warehouses, will soon be handed over to Tailormade Logistics, a leading international transport company and logistics service provider.
After the ceremonial inauguration of the building, the attendees were invited by BCTN and Network De Vlaamse Waterweg for a boat trip with a network cocktail. The route went from the new site in Laakdal/Meerhout, past the BCTN container terminal, to Ham, where Heylen Warehouses is currently building a logistics campus of 100,000 m².
Zero Emission Inbound Logistics and multimodality
As a logistics developer, Heylen Warehouses sees it as its responsibility to send out no more trucks than strictly necessary. Due to the unique multimodal location, right next to the Albert Canal, and the close collaboration with BCTN and Network De Vlaamse Waterweg, the transport of goods by truck is replaced by transport by water. The use of inland shipping saves on the annual CO2 footprint and also relieves the increasingly busy roads, contributing to solving the growing congestion problem. The Albert Canal and the BCTN container terminal offer optimal connections with the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. With nearly 40 million tons of transported goods per year, the Albert Canal is the most important waterway in Flanders. Thanks to the solid cooperation with IOK, Heylen Warehouses was able to realize its vision for multimodal logistic locations in Laakdal/Meerhout.
Bert Vandecaveye, CEO of Tailormade Logistics, explains the choice for Heylen Warehouses’ new project: “Tailormade Logistics is proud to be a leader in our sector in terms of sustainability. The share of multimodal transport in our turnover has been growing significantly for several years. The location of the site in Laakdal/Meerhout, next to BCTN and 35 km from DLCT, the barge terminal in Grobbendonk, allows us to further expand our multimodal offer.”
A sustainable development
The logistics site meets the high BREEAM standards for sustainability and innovation in almost all areas: from advanced waste management to the use of sustainable building materials, water recovery, optimization of natural light, and employee well-being. The entire Laakdal/Meerhout site will also be equipped with electric car charging stations. The green fuel for the charging infrastructure will be generated by the solar panels that will be installed on the entire roof surface of Europe Inland Logistics 21.