Green light for largest production facility for custom batteries
After years of preparation, we are extremely happy to have finally received the green light to start the construction process of our new headquarters! It will be located on De Oudeweg, one of Haarlem’s main access roads. The new building will provide an eye-catching sight as a striking landmark for thousands of daily passers-by. But before that happens, a challenging undertaking awaits the developer, Ontwikkel Unie, and the Intercel project team. The goal is to deliver the Haarlem Energy HUB ready by the end of the first quarter of next year.
Innovative building
The brand new facility will not be just another building on the Waarderpolder industrial estate. Huib Kleintjens of De Ontwikkel Unie explains the thoughtful design intended to meet the high demands and ambitions of this project: “The facade will be clad with bamboo strips for a beautiful, natural look. At the same time, we want to provide an open vista into the building with large windows. To keep the building cool in the summer, we integrated canopies above the windows that protrude 1.5 meters from the facade. And to create a sustainable building, the roof of the main section will be a so-called brown roof that provides habitat for local plants, insects and birds.”
Driving the first pole
It has been a long road of obtaining the last building lot in the C-District, researching, designing, redesigning and obtaining all the necessary permits. But after years of preparation, the actual construction process began in March of this year with land preparation for the first phase. The first pile was struck March 12 with an official ceremony. From then on, it will continue to be a constant push forward in several phases to meet the target completion date of late first quarter of ’25.
Milestones
As far as Huib is concerned, cooperation with the right partners at every level is vital to achieve the planned milestones: “The first phase of the project is fully supported by Intercel. But for the second and final phase, funding from RVO (Rijksdienst Voor Ondernemend Nederland) is essential for the successful delivery of the Haarlem Energy HUB. For a project like this, you have to work with consultants and suppliers who can think along with you. For the facade design we are working with Van Ommeren Architects in Amsterdam and for the civil construction we choose F5 Projectengroep in IJsselstein. I am really looking forward to toasting that first cold beer on top of the building when we reach the highest point in the summer!”
