The first, a 12MWp array in Emmen, in the province of Drenthe in the northeast of the Netherlands, is situated on the site of a former gas works. It was completed by Anesco’s EPC team in tandem with the build of a 14MWp solar farm, located near to the town of Heerenveen, in the province of Friesland. While the third is a 30MWp solar installation in Sas Van Gent, located on a former industrial site, in the province of Zeeland.
Anesco worked closely with local suppliers and Shell to deliver the projects, overcoming the challenges of the pandemic to do so.
Each solar farm benefits from an advanced biodiversity plan, designed to achieve the maximum ecological impact for local wildlife and creating habitats for some of the most at-risk species.
Having been energised, all three sites are now being looked after by Anesco’s specialist operations and maintenance team, who will ensure they continue to operate at their optimal efficiency.
In addition, waste material from all three solar farm sites has been recycled with the money raised being donated to two charities situated close to the solar farms. A contribution from Shell and the support of other project partners, has seen a total of 6,000 euros donated to a Heerenveen hospice and 10,000 euros given to a local food bank in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
Mark Futyan, Anesco CEO, commented: “When we officially broke ground on these three solar farms for Shell, it was an important milestone for us, marking Anesco’s first projects outside of the UK. Despite the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic, our EPC team has done a fantastic job and it’s been a pleasure to work with Shell to bring these projects to fruition, while also giving something back to the local communities where they are based.”
Tyrone Rogers, Anesco project manager, commented: “We’ve really enjoyed working with Shell and the other partners on these three solar farms. Unlike our UK projects, where any surplus materials would simply be transported and used on other sites, this wasn’t going to be a viable option here. Recycling the materials and donating the proceeds was the perfect solution for minimising waste, whilst also making a contribution towards vital services in the local community.”
Established in Reading in 2010, Anesco has developed in excess of 100 solar farms and 30 battery storage facilities, while its renewables operation and maintenance arm now has more than 24,0000 renewable assets under management.
