The agreement for the comprehensive logistics project, between BayWa r.e. Solar Trade and Seacon Logistics, was finalised during the leading international trade fair “Transport Logistic” in Munich. The partners are developing a completely climate-neutral logistics hub at the Wanssum container port for the distribution of photovoltaic products from BayWa r.e. Solar Trade.

The finalised project will have a storage capacity of over 50,000 m², making it the largest hub out of currently 66 in the BayWa r.e. Solar Trade supply chain. The aim is to increase and continuously develop customer service and efficiency in all aspects of the business including the handling of sea freight, warehousing, transport alongside customs and import services. The ground-breaking project is scheduled for completion in early 2024.

7.3 MW PV rooftop installation

Certified “Excellent” by BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) the final concept of the logistics hub includes a PV system with a capacity of 7.3 MW on the roofs of the hub. This system will provide enough electricity for the entire logistics hub including the electrified barges, terminal trucks and car fleet. In line with both Seacon’s and BayWa r.e.’s sustainability policy the logistics hub will therefore be entirely climate-neutral. 

Also interesting: Krannich Solar: 5 new warehouses in Europe and America

Frank Jessel, Global Director of Solar Trade at BayWa r.e., says: “The hub at the Wanssum container port will enable us to offer our customers an even better service in the future. The increased connectivity reduces delivery and storage times, while at the same time increasing product availability. Last but not least, the project is designed to be completely sustainable, so together with our partner Seacon we are setting an example in the fight against climate change.”

Efficient and sustainable security of supply

Dominik Dohr, Global Head Supply Chain Solar Trade at BayWa r.e., adds: “In order to make product availability and security of supply for our customers as efficient and sustainable as possible, the new logistics hub in Wanssum plays an essential role in our supply chain. The direct barge connection to the container port of Rotterdam makes Wanssum our gateway for importing PV modules for the European market. Service, efficiency and sustainability are harmonised here.”

Did you miss that? Schletter Group extends logistics and production

Sylvester van de Logt, CEO of Seacon Logistics, adds: “The cooperation with BayWa r.e. Solar Trade fits perfectly with our vision of creating significant added value along our customers’ supply chains and continuously improving our service. In concrete terms, this means tailor-made end-to-end supply chain solutions based on a sustainable foundation that has been awarded “Excellent” by BREEAM. Together with BayWa r.e. Solar Trade, Seacon will in future take on the responsible task of making optimum use of the electricity generated.” (hcn)





Source link



Business owners across Europe are increasingly turning to electricity to meet carbon reduction targets, yet they often face an unexpected setback when it comes to enlarging the capacity of their building’s connection with the grid.

The demands of electrification, combined with ageing power networks, mean that many distribution system operators are unable to provide their customers with larger grid connections, particularly for commercial, industrial, and residential apartment buildings. In some parts of Europe, notably Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland, grid accessibility constraints are already proving a significant barrier to electrification, with only Finland having a truly open and accessible electricity grid*.

Implementing Building as a Grid approach

A new project in the Netherlands, however, shows how one entrepreneur has turned the lack of an adequate grid connection to his advantage. The owner of The Florian Hotel in Amsterdam, has teamed up with the international power management company, Eaton, to ensure his business has a reliable supply of low-cost, low-carbon, electricity. By implementing Eaton’s Buildings as a Grid approach to the energy transition, he has overcome the setback of an inadequate grid connection to transform a former office building near Schiphol Airport into a vibrant hotel that makes the most of renewable energy.

Also interesting: Demand Side Flexibility increases grid stability and lowers electricity prices

Using a 30 kWp rooftop solar photo-voltaic array and an Eaton xStorage battery energy storage system (40 kW power and 50 kWh capacity), Eaton designed an energy strategy for The Florian that mixes its solar power with electricity available within its grid connection. A system of ‘peak shaving’ ensures that electricity from the batteries is used when demand for power in the hotel is at its highest, keeping overall energy consumption at these times well within the limits pre-agreed with the distribution system operator and saving money, too.

The Building as a Grid approach is scalable, so an expandable network of EV chargers has been installed in the hotel’s parking garage and integrated into the energy management system via Eaton’s proprietary Buildings Energy Management Software (BEMS). Powerful algorithms within the software direct available power to where it is most needed for EV charging and other electrical requirements in the hotel while at the same time keeping the xStorage battery charged to substitute power from the grid when necessary.

Reduce energy costs and save the climate

The BEMS software analyses the hotel’s current and past energy use trends and even monitors weather forecasts to ensure that the low-cost, low-carbon energy from the solar panels is used to maximum effect to reduce both energy bills and the hotel’s carbon footprint.

The hotel owner, who prefers to be known simply by his first name – Tony – is delighted with the outcome: “Our Buildings as a Grid approach at The Florian is achieving outstanding results. In 2022, despite soaring energy prices, we kept control of our energy costs, and reduced carbon emissions by more than 15 tons compared with the average for a building of similar size. Crucially, we stayed within the limits of our grid connection because had we not been able to do that, we may have had to close.”

Fabrice Roudet, general manager of Eaton’s energy transition division in Europe, said: “The carbon saving will help The Florian to reach its corporate sustainability goal of reducing its carbon footprint towards net zero, and we can help similar businesses to do the same.” (hcn)





Source link



With the commissioning of a solar park in the district of Echt-Susteren in the Netherlands, Belectric has completed a successful series of eight projects. The German solar company has commissioned eight solar parks with a total capacity of 128 MW for its customer Low Carbon, a global renewable energy company.

The plants are located in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Overijssel and Utrecht. Although 2020 was the wettest year in the Netherlands since weather records began and the heavy rainfall in the fall affected construction work, the smooth cooperation of all parties involved led to success. The Operations & Maintenance team of Belectric can now take over responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the eight projects.

More than 300 MW PV projects in the Netherlands

In addition, the German company has secured a contract for another solar park with a capacity of 17 MW in the Netherlands. This underlines Belectric’s role as one of the leading EPC service providers in the Dutch market. To date, the company has built more than 300 MW of photovoltaic capacity in the country and will soon add almost another 100 MW.

Subscribe to our investors newsletter

Steven Hughes, Managing Director of Portfolio Management at Low Carbon, comments: “We are pleased with the commissioning of this large portfolio of solar projects, which will support the Dutch government’s efforts to decarbonize the grid. Our long-term partnership with Belectric has been key to our success, and we look forward to working together on the implementation of further projects in the coming months and continuing the fight against climate change.”

Challenging soil situation

The construction work for the solar parks that have been put into operation focused on protecting the soil. Since the challenging soils on a large part of the plants do not offer sufficient stability, the usual ramming of the piles for the substructure was not sufficient. After numerous pull-out tests and analyses, Belectric opted for a special variant of the substructure with screws that can be easily removed without leaving any residue. 

Also interesting: DAS Solar delivers N-type PV modules to Dutch project

“The fact that we were selected by Low Carbon to build these exciting projects speaks for us and our experience. We have been working successfully with our client since the beginning of 2022 and are pleased to expand the partnership and help Low Carbon achieve its goal of 20 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030,” explains Thorsten Blanke, Managing Director at Belectric. (hcn)





Source link



How is the business of large solar roofs for commercial customers currently developing?

Joachim Goldbeck: Industrial roofs are doing well, although new construction in industry is currently slowing down. We are doing well with the installation of solar systems on the roofs of existing buildings, and projects are running continuously.

Sign up for our investor newsletter here!

Will the solar package bring more momentum to this market segment?

The tenders for solar roofs have been expanded, that is now clear. The supply of electricity to tenants and shared systems has also been simplified. In the case of solar roofs, our industrial and commercial customers often focus on their own consumption of solar power. The situation is different for project developers or investors who own large logistics halls. Here, feed-in is the priority. In both cases, an appropriate feed-in tariff is important to ensure economic profitability.

Use our investor channel!

How are ground-mounted solar parks developing?

The demand is enormous. We have large and well-developed projects that we are implementing. However, grid connections are becoming scarce. Negative electricity prices are also a poor fit with the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) business model. However, there is a strong pull in this market. Major players have built up larger project pipelines.

Some analysts see major challenges for the large ground-mounted parks due to the problems you mentioned …

We will see whether the prophecies of doom come true or whether the bulls in the market are right. Because we need a lot more solar power, for example for electrical heat supply or e-mobility. Or the growing demand for electricity due to the increasing volumes of data resulting from artificial intelligence. Electricity is becoming increasingly important in industry, for example in the production of steel.

Move On Energy puts Witznitz energy park into operation

Could large storage batteries boost the expansion of solar parks?

As an EPC, we are currently building a stand-alone battery system for a customer as pure grid storage. This can currently be presented with exciting business models, even without a solar field. But battery storage systems will also play a growing role in solar projects. Hybrids of wind and solar can make better use of grid connection points, supported by large electricity storage systems. That will come, or is already underway.

How do you see the market developing in other countries? Which ones are particularly promising?

Goldbeck Solar has been very strong in the Netherlands for years. We have very large projects on the books there, especially on open land. I expect demand to change in a year or two. We assume that agri-PV will gain in importance. We will see what is grown underneath. We call this agrivoltaics. Because the interests of farmers are taken into account, it could be easier to obtain approval for this in the future than for solar parks on greenfield sites, for example.

Podcast Solar Investor’s Guide #1: Thomas Schoy on problems with grid connection

Which other markets are exciting for you?

Poland is just getting going again. This market stuttered for some time and was delayed. Now we have very nice projects there. We also see very good prospects in Ukraine once the war is over. We have set up a joint venture with a partner to develop this market. However, there are still a number of unanswered questions, such as federal guarantees that also cover war damage.

There is a glaring lack of electricity in Ukraine, the infrastructure has been destroyed. Solar systems should actually be the first choice for reconstruction, shouldn’t they?

We started the joint venture to develop this market. So far, there are no models like PPAs in Ukraine. Private electricity traders have only been licensed for two years. Although many investors are showing some interest, it’s still a lot of talk. Martial law is currently in force and the electricity grid is very unstable. Electricity sales to local companies are not permitted in euros, only in the national currency, the hryvnia. We need the risks to be hedged by politicians before any real investment can be made.

Download free of charge (PDF): Witznitz Energy Park – New opportunity for old spoil tip

You have built many plants in the UK. What impact has Brexit had?

The UK was a strong market between 2011 and 2016. After a few weak years, we now have some good projects on our doorstep again, although many processes are definitely more complex. It is very difficult to find the right workers. In the past, many fitters from Poland or Ukraine worked in the UK, which was possible within the EU. Brexit has made this much more difficult. Taxes, customs and so on have also become more complicated.

We’ve seen similar ups and downs in Spain. Is recovery in sight there?

We are currently building eleven megawatts on Mallorca and 30 megawatts on the mainland. We are in talks about another 30 megawatt project. However, Spain is currently being stormed by project providers. This is causing the PPA price to fall. We have high quality standards, for example for cable technology. If only the lowest price counts in the market, the situation is not healthy. We need to identify customers who are prepared to value higher quality and longevity.

Interview by Heiko Schwarzburger





Source link