>>
t is hard to imagine how
incredibly dominant the
Dutch East India Company
was for almost 200 years.
Regardless of the small size
of the Lower Countries, they were a nation
of mighty traders and explorers, unafraid
to sail into the unknown – and do business
there. The firm, known by the initials VOC
in its native Dutch, sent over a million
Europeans to Asia to do business, more
than all the rest of Europe combined. It
created its own armies and armadas and is
considered by many to be the first genuine
multinational. It was the first company to
issue stock.
The tradition of innovation and adventure
has stuck with the Netherlands. The
innovation has been historically demanded
of a small country surrounded by often
hostile neighbours and a more hostile sea,
all ready to claim the country for their
own. Yet the Netherlands has survived and
thrived. They may soon dominate clean
technologies as strongly as the VOC did
Europe-Asia trade.
keeping it green and Clean
The Netherlands has had a strong focus on
areas of interest to HWL that have driven
the Group’s investment there. Energy and
waste management are two areas they have
excelled in.
Waste management has traditionally been
seen globally as a problem to be managed.
The Dutch have turned the tables, making it
into an asset. They have found cutting edge
solutions that just might save the world from
its addiction to garbage.
Waste management is a huge strength of the
Dutch. Consider this: only three to four per
cent of Dutch waste makes it into a landfill
every year. Recycling of building waste and
demolition stands at an astounding 99
per cent. A variety of disposal and waste
reduction plans are in place to good effect.
Up to 60 per cent of all materials are recycled
back into newmaterials and into the economy.
The Dutch have become so good at disposing
of their waste that they are even starting to
take revenue from other countries which will
pay them to take it. This is where Hutchison
Whampoa comes in. The Group’s new
acquisition, AVR Afvalverwerking, takes
that garbage from the UK, Ireland, Belgium
and from large Dutch cities like Rotterdam,
Utrecht, The Hague to Rozenburg and turns
it into energy for its clients. This firm has led
the Energy fromWaste sector, discovering
new ways to harness energy from receiving,
separating, recycling and burning trash – all
while meeting strict regulations to protect
the environment.
energising netherlands
Energy is another Dutch forte. The small
country dominates the renewable energy
sector, in no small part due to single minded
commitment and clear goals. Bioethanol and
biodiesel, processed in Rotterdam, are foci.
The Netherlands produces up to 10 per cent
of all the European Union’s bioethanol and
soon 25 per cent of its biodiesel.
Windmills are one area where the
stereotypes do hold – the Dutch still do
them well. They compete toe-to-toe with
China for the global market. The undisputed
leaders in windmill technology, they have a
long history with them. Windmills hundreds
of years old still function and serve today.
They even play a role in holding back the
sea, as part of the drainage system that
keeps Lower (than sea level) Countries dry.
The more modern windmills provide wind
energy to electricity grids around the world.
ConneCting europe
The Netherlands, at the heart of Europe,
houses the port of Rotterdam and is home
to HWL’s port operations and Europe’s
busiest port. HWL’s own trading distribution
centre in Heteren covers distribution to the
entire Benelux region and part of Germany,
supporting our three retail chains. The Dutch
know how to organise a commercial venture
and HWL has been the beneficiary.
Read on to discover where HWL has invested
into the Netherlands. With over 20,000
of the global HWL total of nearly 260,000
staff members, the Dutch punch above their
weight. Not only is HWL making profitable
investments in the Netherlands, it is making
strategic plays into core sectors like retail
and ports, as well as into technology leaders
with solutions that can be applied to the
world over.
AVR, the newest acquisition, in particular
has technologies and systems that could
be applied to jurisdictions struggling with
issues surrounding their waste disposal and
energy import requirements. For over a
millennia, the Dutch have kept ahead of their
peers and performed well beyond what their
numbers and circumstances would have
suggested what was possible. HWL is proud
to be a part of that continuing quest for
excellence – Dutch style.
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#34
2013
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