Vattenfall opens its very first floating solar farm

• Vattenfall has opened its first floating solar farm in Gendringen, the Netherlands.

The solar farm, with a capability of 1.2 megawatt, was improved the site of the sand as well as gravel extraction business Netterden. This suggests that from now on, fifty percent of the yearly power intake of the electric sand dredge and also the associated sorting as well as handling equipment will certainly be produced sustainably on site.

Area for developing solar farms is scarce in the Netherlands. A feasible option to this is to construct floating solar farms, for example on fish ponds as well as pools resulting from sand and gravel extraction. A fringe benefit is that the water cools the panels normally, which enhances their performance compared to land-based photovoltaic panels.

As the prime service provider, Vattenfall was accountable for building the floating solar farm, while Netterden gave the financing.

"Netterden's vision on socially accountable organization was the primary reason for launching this job. Environment-friendly power is a natural part of this. This ambition is a superb fit with Vattenfall's goal to make fossil-free living possible within one generation. We delight in to have had the opportunity to make this project viable for them", states Ivo Iprenburg, Business Development Manager.

The solar farm was officially handed over to Netterden on 25 September.