RWE, one of the world’s leading companies for renewable energy, is to construct its first floating photovoltaic (PV) project. The Amer floating PV project consists 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. After completion, the innovative PV project will have an installed capacity of 6.1 megawatts peak. RWE has also started constructing a 2.3 megawatts peak 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.

Roger Miesen, CEO of RWE Generation and Country Chair for the Netherlands: ”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,” underlines Roger Miesen.

Solar Park Amer

In 2018, RWE realized the first phase of Solar Park Amer, installing over 2,000 PV panels with 0.5 megawatts peak on the roof of its power plant. The solar park is now being expanded. Construction of the floating PV project is expected to start at the beginning of August, and to be commissioned by the end of 2021. Construction of the ground mounted project has already commenced and is expected to be finished in August 2021. The green electricity generated by Solar Park Amer (rooftop, ground mounted and floating PV) is equal to the annual electricity consumption of about 2,300 Dutch households.

RWE currently operates seven onshore wind farms in the Netherlands with a total installed capacity of 268 MW (RWE’s pro rata share). In addition, the company is currently building four new onshore wind farms with a total capacity of more than 115 MW, as well as a 14 MW solar park in Kerkrade. All of these projects will be commissioned in the course of 2021.

”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.”