RWE to make floating solar debut in the Netherlands

RWE, one of the world’s leading companies for renewable energy, has unveiled plans to construct its first floating photovoltaic (PV) project in the Netherlands.

The innovative floating solar project will consist of 13,400 solar panels that will float on a lake near the Amer power plant in Geertruidenberg, in the Netherlands’ province of Noord-Brabant.

Construction of the Amer PV project is expected to start at the beginning of August, and to be commissioned by the end of 2021.

After completion, the project will have an installed capacity of 6.1MWp (megawatts peak), according to RWE, which has also started constructing a 2.3MWp ground mounted PV project on the site of its Amer power plant.

Both PV projects, floating and ground mounted, are part of Solar Park Amer. The green electricity to be generated by the solar park (rooftop, ground mounted and floating PV) will be equal to the annual electricity consumption of about 2,300 Dutch household, according to RWE.

Roger Miesen, CEO of RWE Generation and Country Chair for the Netherlands, said: ”Our first floating PV project demonstrates our ambition to drive forward the energy transition with innovative technologies and clean energy supply”.

The Netherlands is one of RWE’s strategic core markets and the company continues to contribute to the growth of renewable energy, as well as to CO2 free flexible capacity.

Currently, RWE is expanding its Dutch portfolio with four new onshore wind farms and a solar park under construction.

“As a company we also strongly contribute to hydrogen developments via the projects NortH2, Eemshydrogen and FUREC. Both new PV projects show that we can turn conventional asset sites into landmark projects that promote innovative solutions for a sustainable electricity system”, added Miesen.

Katja Wünschel, COO Wind Onshore & Solar PV Europe & APAC of RWE Renewables, said: ”Our Amer floating photovoltaic project is the first of its kind for RWE, adding a new, promising technology to our portfolio. Realizing the project will also deepen our knowledge about technical possibilities of floating PV, such as scalability and energy output.

“We also started construction of a ground mounted PV project. Both projects will be part of Solar Park Amer and it demonstrates our dedication to developing and implementing innovative solutions to advance the utilisation of renewable energy”.