Alfen celebrates 15 years of innovation in Belgium
2022 has been a milestone year for Alfen – we celebrated 85 years of innovation with our employees and customers this summer, and now we are recognising one more jubilee.
15 years ago, Alfen entered the Belgian market as we took our first steps in internationalisation. In 2007, we entered the market initially with our transformer substations because of the technical commonalities with the Dutch market. Through the years, we expanded our presence with more products, including our EV charging equipment in 2013 and our energy storage systems in 2016. Today Alfen is a household name in the field of EV charging and industrial battery storage projects in Belgium, and we are a thought leader at the heart of the energy transition focused on limiting climate change.
'Transitioned from pioneer to renowned partner'
Yves Vercammen, Country Manager of Alfen Belgium, is excited to see where his team stands today. “I often describe Alfen as an established energy solution specialist with a start-up mentality. This mentality definitely applies to our team in Belgium. Starting with solid expertise in mid-voltage technology, we’ve successfully transitioned from a pioneer to a renowned partner for EV charging infrastructure and large-scale energy storage projects. Even stronger, thanks to our team’s dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit, we are market leaders in these domains. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished, and I’m eager to continue serving our customers and partners with excellence for the next 15 years.”
In the past 15 years, the Belgian energy landscape has changed drastically and so has our organisation. A journey that started with one employee selling transformer substations has now grown into a team of 15 specialists, who are successfully assisting our customers and partners with their expertise in smart grid solutions, energy storage systems and charging stations for electric vehicles.
Johan Deswaef – mid-voltage expert in our Smart Grid Solutions team – was Alfen’s first Belgian employee. His contributions laid the foundation for our current transformer substation business. “Since I joined Alfen back in 2007, I’ve been able to fully develop my experience and passion for mid-voltage grid systems. I’ve been stimulated by our company’s technological leadership and sharing my knowledge with our growing team in Belgium still gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
Decentralised generation of renewable energy
One of the projects Johan is working on today is about a Local Energy Community – an emerging trend in Belgium. It’s when companies collaborate in decentralised generation of renewable energy. In this case, the companies are a tomato greenhouse grower with surplus energy from its floating solar panels and a meat processor in need of energy during certain periods. By sharing energy, they are cutting costs and emissions. Alfen delivered several different types of transformer substations and services to both customers, and our team learned more about the latest technological innovations in today’s dynamic energy world.
Alfen sees this 15-year milestone as only the beginning, and we are inspired to continuing serving our customers and partners in the best possible way with innovative and reliable solutions. We’re committed to help them realise the climate ambitions our planet needs!