CEBEO is building a new logistics distribution center in Tournai. The focus is not only on achieving maximum CO₂ neutrality. The building will also be able to supply energy to surrounding businesses during peak hours.
The Belgian market leader in the distribution of high-quality electrical products has 1.6 million product references, of which 50,000 can be delivered within 24 hours. Smooth logistical flow is therefore of crucial importance. The new distribution center is needed to keep up with CEBEO's growth ambitions. The first shipments will depart from the new location in the autumn of 2023. The location of the site, directly next to the junction of the E403 and E42 in Blandain, ensures optimal accessibility.
On the 12-hectare site, a building of 40,000 m², 18 meters high and with 32 loading and unloading docks will be constructed, designed by AAVO Architects. In addition to administrative offices, there will also be a logistics office and a gatehouse where trucks and vans must report. The largest part of the building consists of logistics space, a semi-automated warehouse from which Cebeo supplies all its customers, either directly or through its extensive network of branches. The logistics center will be a state-of-the-art building with full attention to employees, customers, and the planet.
BREEAM
Intermunicipal authority IDETA – owner of the industrial zone – seeks partners in the field of sustainability, not coincidentally one of CEBEO's core values. The new distribution center will therefore be BREEAM Excellent certified. The choice of techniques makes this ambition possible.
Under the parking area, a BEO field (Borehole Energy Storage) will be installed with 72 boreholes to a depth of 100 meters. The offices are equipped with radiant ceilings, which increase work comfort. Due to the extensive insulation of the building envelope, it is mainly necessary to cool the office spaces, even in winter. In the warehouses, heating will be required. This ensures that the BEO field remains in balance over the long term as well. The base temperature in the warehouses is provided by the heat from the BEO field, while the difference between the base and comfort temperature (including peaks down to -8 °C outside) is generated by a 550 kW air-to-water heat pump. In winter, full use is also made of heat recovery, both from the compressed air compressor and in the high-voltage room and IT rooms. In the warm months, the BEO field enables free cooling, further reducing energy consumption.
Advanced smart building technology has been implemented in lighting, presence detection, inventory management, and management platforms. Naturally, CEBEO was the ideal party to put the latest trends in lighting control, data management, and automation into practice.
Maximum use of the sun
The enormous roof surface is fully utilized for the installation of PV panels, with a total capacity of approximately 3.35 megawatts. CEBEO will not be able to continuously consume everything that is generated. Therefore, the surplus electricity, in collaboration with IDETA, is distributed to other businesses in the industrial zone.
Remarkable project
The new logistics distribution center is remarkable in several ways. The building is not only at the forefront of the latest innovations in smart buildings, which makes sense given that the client is a market leader in such products. Most striking is the fact that the warehouses are heated and cooled by a combination of geothermal energy, heat recovery from compressed air compressors, and cooling towers. This significantly increases the comfort of employees on the work floor and results in a BREEAM Excellent building with a very low CO₂ footprint.
Construction partners:
* CEBEO – client * AAVO Architects – architect * Willy Naessens – prefab contractor * Encon – BREEAM assessor * Onebim – BIM coordination and data analysis * BM Engineering Group – special techniques
