RDM - MDC2023

MDC AWARDS 2023

‘The Dutch Vault’ - Best Sustainability Initiative

About ‘The Dutch Vault’

When the euro was introduced in 2002, the Royal Dutch Mint significantly expanded its production capacity in order to fully meet the resulting demand. This additional production capacity has since been utilised to produce coins for a growing number of other countries as well. As activities expanded, the historic building in Utrecht which traditionally housed the Mint, proved unable to keep pace with the demands of coin production. In 2020, the Royal Dutch Mint therefore moved to ‘The Dutch Vault’, an ultramodern building in Houten. This facility is fully energy self-sufficient and is equipped with a state of the art security system.

‘The Dutch Vault’

In pictures

Facts

General

Nordic Gold

Royal inspiration

The architect of ‘The Dutch Vault’ was inspired by the Effigy of King Willem-Alexander and resembles the typical division of the Dutch landscape

Gold

The golden outside of the building is the exact same colour of the gold in Eurocoins

Surface

‘The Dutch Vault’ has 13.000 square meters surface; divided in an office area and efficient factory

Energy

‘The Dutch Vault’ used no fossil fuels and has aa solar power plant on its roof that generates more energy than RDM’s average use.

Automated security

Metal clearance is automated with X-rays and software

Windowless facility

Natural daylight comes in trough an inside garden and big skylights in the factory

Surrounded by

Water

Sustainablility

RDM took the opportunity to do better in three key areas:

Internal measures to reduce the carbon footprint

Waste water treatment

Circular use of waste

The Dutch Vault generates electricity using its own solar energy plant (1.700 panels) on the roof, exceeding RDM’s average energy demand.

Heating, ventilation and cooling system that re-uses exhaust heat of the presses for heating in Winter and cold night air in the Summer for cooling.

Capturing rainwater and using it to flush lavatories and water the garden.

Reduction of consumables

e.g. office printers are set up to print double sided and printing is only in grey tints.

Packaging materials

Reduction of plastics, and if plastic packaging is required, RDM looks to work with recyclable plastics. Cardboard is now sourced from ‘FSC’ suppliers.

Reduction of of chemicals

RDM has been able to reduce the use of chemicals in its processes by optimising the parameters.

Automation

Automation allowed RDM to produce about 50 million circulation coins for every staff member.

Recycled concrete

The concrete floor of The Dutch Vault is made of recycled concrete, a.o. of a bunker of World War 2.

Water treatment

RDM now uses a local specialised recycling company to treat process water with high levels of metal particles. RDM, and its ISO 14001 auditor, calculated that a dual approach of using an external expert company and treating water flows with

lower levels of metal particles in its own integrated water purification system would give the best ecological outcome. The recycling company captures and refines metal particles in wastewater. The result is that scarce resources, such as metals, are fully recycled and do not pollute wastewater or other waste flows.

Circular use of waste

All waste on site is now sorted, with material recycled where possible (pallets, boxes, big bags, foil residues,…). Non-metal valuable materials are offered to interested parties who collect the waste for re-use. This has led to a decrease in waste of approximately 50% compared with the previous site.

‘The Dutch Vault’ - Best Sustainability Initiative