Chint started the greenfield development activities for this solar park in early 2017 in close alignment with all local stakeholders. The land was originally zoned as industrial estate before the municipality granted the planning permit without any objections by the local community to enable the construction of the 15 MW solar park. After all development steps were finalized in summer time, Chint kicked-off the construction phase in August. The construction could be executed very smoothly due to the good weather conditions during this year’s summer. The solar park was successfully connected to the grid in October and is now providing the region with clean and sustainable energy for the decades to come.
Chint had a high focus from the very beginning on the landscaping design which is very important in the Netherlands. Diederik Apotheker, Head of Business Development in the Netherlands at Chint Solar: “We incorporated landscape elements around the solar park right from the beginning so that it fits perfectly within the environment”. A line of trees with a maximum height of three meters will planted around the park. This line consists of various kinds of trees, thus stimulating the local biodiversity, especially for insects and bees. Local government officials planted the first trees and shrubs of the surrounding line of trees during the official opening ceremony.
Bernardo Silvestre, Regional Manager Head of Business Development at Chint Solar in Europe: The Andijk project is a milestone for Chint in the Netherlands and a perfect example of collaboration between all stakeholders. The coming period, and together with universities and other organizations, we want to use this solar park as a research area focusing on biodiversity and land sustainable use. We can then use this knowledge for future developments in the Netherlands and across Europe.
What’s next?
Chint intends to remain very active in the Netherlands and is already planning the realization of the next solar parks. Oliver Schweininger, Managing Director at Chint in Europe: “We are very happy that the solar park in Andijk allows us to contribute to a sustainable future for the Netherlands. This is our second project which we have completed this year. Chint Solar is a pioneering company in the solar energy sector and is fully committed to contributing to a successful energy transition in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, turning away from fossil fuels and moving towards sustainable and clean energy for the future”.
The short and medium term goals are ambitious. Chint is currently is working on a 400 MW development pipeline in the Netherlands which the company intends to realize over the course of the next 3 years. This will be achieved in close collaboration with several municipalities, provinces and many other public entities, and in partnering with local private companies in the industry.
