'Leading the way requires inventiveness and long-windedness'

Energy transition tree harvesting

In order to become completely self-sufficient in energy, Boomrooierij Weijtmans recently invested no less than five million euros in the electrification of their machinery and the development of a huge solar farm system. But, as the company has frequently experienced in the past, being ahead often also means having a long breath. Kees Weijtmans, DGA and Managing Director, talks about the obstacles he experienced during the transition, but also about the solutions he found. 

"In addition to an arsenal of battery-powered tools, we now have a 16-ton electric mobile crane and two electric service vans in operation. To use the power generated from our solar panels for our electric equipment, we have invested in battery containers. Two more electric crane trucks are also on order, as well as an electric truck-mounted boom lift and an electric container truck, so we can move the battery containers. By the end of 2022, these would be delivered. Meanwhile, the delivery has already been delayed six times and now they expect it to take place by the end of this year. This means that the 1.7 million investment we made last year will actually not be needed until the end of 2024. That is quite sour. Was first the pandemic the cause of this delay, now the suppliers indicate that the equipment does not yet meet the quality requirements set."

Patience

However, the patience of the tree specialist was tested even harder. For trouble-free charging of the electric equipment, a heavier power connection was needed. "Of that, the waiting time is as much as fifteen months to two years. Since the range of electric equipment is limited, we therefore took over a company in Son that is closer to our working area of Eindhoven. There, too, we had to wait a year and a half for a heavier power connection. And now the grid operator has recently informed us that it will take five to ten years before they can supply power!"

Inventive solutions

"But we are used to something in our 100 years of existence. If you want to stand out and lead the way, you have to have a straight back and long breath. At the time, the delivery of the telescopic crane that we designed ourselves was also delayed by a year. A positive attitude and inventiveness help in these cases. That is why we are currently looking at a solution with nearby companies. For example, there is a metalworking company around the corner whose heavier power connection we might be able to use. Their employees go home at five o'clock and that's exactly the time we come back and want to recharge our equipment." 

Nice assignments

So although the energy transition is not going quite smoothly, fortunately the influx of nice assignments remains constant. For example, Weijtmans is allowed to participate in the ambitious 'Felling and replanting trees' project in Tilburg. Between 800 and 1,000 trees will be replaced. Weijtmans is responsible for the felling, growth site improvement and placement of the new trees. "Because the new trees cannot be placed until the fall, we will prepare the planting holes in the coming period. It is customary to then close them temporarily, but we thought that was a missed opportunity. That is why we will sow flower mixes in them. Good for biodiversity and it looks nicer for local residents."

In this project, too, Weijtmans is doing what it does best: keeping inconvenience to users of the public area to a minimum through tight organization. In addition, the client was relieved as much as possible. From providing the residents with information to arranging traffic safety, Weijtmans takes care of everything.