Impax and Solarcentury have signed a construction and maintenance agreement for what will become the largest solar project in the Netherlands: Vlagtwedde solar farm, which is located in the municipality Westerwolde. The solar farm has been well received locally as the project has been carried out in cooperation with the local people and the municipality authorities.
The project was initiated by Powerfield and co-developed by Powerfield and Solarcentury. Solarcentury will construct and maintain the project for the final owner and investor Impax. The 110 MW solar farm is set to become one of the largest solar projects in The Netherlands and is planned to be operational during the second half of 2020.
The 110 MW solar farm will be made up of almost 350,000 panels and will cover an area of 100 hectares. In total, the solar farm will have an expected annual yield of 104,000 MWh. This is enough power generation for approximately 30,000 households.
Support from local residents and energy cooperative
The local residents and energy cooperative are united in supporting the transition to solar energy. Adjacent to the solar farm, a blueberry farm has been developed which covers a further 24 hectares. The blueberry farm ensures proper integration of the solar farm within the surrounding landscape and provides employment opportunities to the local population in addition to the solar farm.
Hector Boyce, Impax & Director of Zonnepark Vlagtwedde said: “We are excited to be making our first investment in the Netherlands. Not only is this investment supporting the Netherlands’s transition away from fossil fuels to renewable sources through the creation of the country’s largest solar farm, it is also creating employment opportunities and supporting biodiversity in the local area. The project has been developed in close cooperation with local parties, and we look forward to making further investments in the Netherlands.”
Expected annual yield of 104,000 MWh
Evert Vlaswinkel, Solarcentury Benelux General Manager added: “With solar becoming an increasingly popular way to generate power in the Netherlands, we are thrilled to announce that we have started construction on the 110 MW Vlagtwedde solar farm. This project highlights the potential of solar energy to tackle the climate emergency and we are proud to lead a project that will significantly contribute to the transition to renewable energy sources away from fossil fuels. Once completed, this solar park will generate 104,000 MWh annually and save more than 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 over the course of its lifetime.”
More 180,000 kg blueberries grown yearly
Jean Louis Bertholet, Chief Financial Officer, PowerField said: “We have been working on the development of Solar Park Vlagtwedde since 2016. With 110MW this is the largest concrete solar park in the Netherlands. 20 hectares of blueberries have been planted for the landscape integration of the solar park and employment in the municipality of Westerwolde. The size of the blueberry cultivation in combination with the solar park makes this a unique project. Soon, more than 30,000 households will be supplied with green electricity every year and more than 180,000 kilos of blueberries will be grown. A great example of how the generation of sustainable energy and landscape integration go together." (HCN)
