Monday 5 June 2023
Global warming and the gradual disappearance of biodiversity are prompting everyone to question their environmental practices and turn to more sustainable solutions.
And companies are no exception to the rule. As a major player in the ICT sector, the NRB Group is stepping up initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. The company intends to improve its energy efficiency and considerably reduce its CO2 emissions, with an ambitious target set for 2030: to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to 2015.
This project is already taking shape, with a 27% reduction in emissions in 2021, despite strong growth in the computer fleet. “These figures are important because they reflect our company’s values. The resources we deploy to achieve them are an investment we are proud of”, explains Emmanuelle Lhermitte, Director Quality & Risk at NRB.
Our wind turbine supplies 36% of NRB’s electricity consumption
NRB has installed the first wind turbine on a business park, at Hauts-Sarts, the largest business park in Wallonia. Commissioned in May 2022, the wind turbine has already produced 4,274.56 MWh, of which 2,528 were directly consumed by the company. This represents 36% of our electricity consumption in 2022. These figures will be even higher in the future, as the wind turbine will be in operation all twelve months of the year.
Close to 1,000 photovoltaic panels on the roofs
Since 2015, NRB has installed 940 photovoltaic panels on the roofs of its Herstal site. Thanks to them, the company can directly consume a total of 39% of the green electricity it produces. “All these initiatives also give us security of supply”, adds Emmanuelle Lhermitte.
Our Data Centers are among the greenest in Belgium
NRB hosts numerous Belgian and foreign companies’ data. Usually these centres are particularly power-hungry and have a negative impact on a company’s carbon footprint.
The NRB Group has taken a number of measures to reduce the environmental impact of its Data Centers. Firstly, with the wind turbine’s production, but also through heat recovery and cold aisle containment systems. The latter technology makes it possible to limit cooling to specific zones rather than the whole room. This results in considerable energy savings.
The wind turbine, photovoltaic panels, heat recovery and cold aisles make the NRB Group’s Data Centers among the greenest in Belgium. “Our clients pay close attention to the measures we take to protect the environment. This stipulation is often included in the specifications”, continues Emmanuelle Lhermitte.
ISO 14001 certification, our next objective
In 2024, NRB intends to obtain ISO 14001 certification, which includes all the standards relating to environmental management and aims to harmonise organisations’ approach in the fight against global warming. “This will enable us to demonstrate that we are doing everything we can, in terms of our processes and activities, to reduce our impact on the outside world”, concludes Emmanuelle Lhermitte.
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