Swedish power company Vattenfall has inaugurated its first floating solar farm in Gendringen, the Netherlands.
The solar farm, with a capacity of 1.2 megawatts, was built on the site of the sand and gravel extraction company Netterden.
"This means that from now on, half of the annual energy consumption of the electric sand dredge and the associated sorting and processing equipment will be generated sustainably on site," Vattenfall said.
Space for building solar farms is scarce in the Netherlands. A possible solution to this is to construct floating solar farms, for example on ponds and pools resulting from sand and gravel extraction. An additional benefit is that the water cools the panels naturally, which increases their efficiency compared to land-based solar panels, Vattenfall explained.
As the prime contractor, Vattenfall was responsible for building the floating solar farm, while Netterden provided the funding.
"Netterden's vision on socially responsible business was the main reason for launching this project. Green power is a natural part of this. This ambition is an excellent fit with Vattenfall's mission to make fossil-free living possible within one generation. We are pleased to have had the opportunity to make this project feasible for them", says Ivo Iprenburg, Business Development Manager.
The solar farm was officially handed over to Netterden on September 25, 2020.