Brussels, 2 June 2021 – SPIE Belgium, the Belgian subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, is helping create a new production unit for Aviko, at Poperinge. Production is expected to start in September 2021.
At the end of 2019, Aviko, one of Europe's biggest transformers of potatoes into various derived products, started work on its brand-new production unit at Poperinge (West Flanders). The unit will produce 175,000 tonnes of frozen chips and 11,000 tonnes of potato flakes a year. The new site will also employ 155 staff members. Aviko and SPIE have already collaborated in the Netherlands. In Belgium, this is a new collaboration involving two operational units from the Industry division at SPIE Belgium, namely Industry Mouscron and Industry Aalter.
Industry Mouscron secured the ‘medium-voltage distribution’, ‘low-voltage distribution’, ‘ICT’, ‘fire detection’, and ‘utilities’ lots, including the installation of lighting with sockets. The operational unit is responsible for installing all the electrical equipment and finishing off all the installations in the various buildings, including installation of wireless networks, cameras and access control equipment, telephony, and fire detection equipment. ‘The customer's main concern is to create a building that is energy-efficient. This is why so much attention is being paid to sustainability in terms of the design, creation, and commissioning of the new factory,’ stresses Pieter Masselin, the Project Manager at Industry Mouscron. ‘Among other things, this translates into combined energy efficiency, minimal loss of materials, full reuse of residual materials and water, solar panels on the roof, and a state-of-the-art cold room. This project also requires our teams on the ground to show considerable adaptability and technical expertise. And this is another area where SPIE Belgium can make a difference.’
As for Industry Aalter, it secured the project to supply and install a new piping system for vapour and condensate. ‘We are currently managing the initial phase, i.e. the building itself, with the machinery being installed at the same time – which is pretty unusual. We see this phase as a nice challenge that allows us to showcase some of our main strengths like experience, flexibility, and safety,’ explains Ben Castelein, the Project Manager at Industry Aalter. ‘The site is subject to very strict rules on a day-to-day basis regarding both safety and health on account of Covid-19. SPIE has already been congratulated on numerous occasions for its approach, its equipment, and its active involvement in the various processes. Something great has been created, with design and implementation complementing each other in an exciting way – the kind of mission we at SPIE really enjoy.’
