Europe PV News Snippets

RWE has energized 6.1 MW DC floating solar plant in the Netherlands; Solar Steel supplies trackers for 50 MW Spanish plant; Italian court rules in favor of agrivoltaics; Boom Power unveils 400 MW solar farm in Yorkshire.

RWE's 1^st floating solar project online: Germany's RWE has commissioned its maiden floating solar PV project with 6.1 MW DC capacity in the Netherlands' Geertruidenberg. With 13,400 solar panels, the floating solar project near Amer Power Plant floats on a lake that was once used as cooling water in the province of Noord-Brabant. For many decades now, the lake hasn't been used for this purpose. RWE said it used 25 kms of cable to connect the panels to the shore and electricity generated is fed into the grid. The company has already operates a 500 kW rooftop solar plant at Solar Park Amer, which was later expanded with a ground mounted PV and now with the floating solar plant. "With Solar Park Amer we demonstrate that it is possible to turn conventional asset sites into landmark projects that promote innovative solutions for a sustainable electricity system," said CEO of RWE Generation and Country Chair for the Netherlands Roger Miesen (see RWE Investing In Floating Solar).

Solar Steel trackers for Spanish project: Gonvarri Industries owned Solar Steel has supplied its TrackSmarT+2V solar trackers for a 50 MW Eiffage Energia project in Spain. These trackers will be installed in X-Elio's CSF Tabernas Solar Project in Lucainena de las Torres, Tabernas and Sorbas (Almeria) towns.

Important Italian ruling for agrivoltaics: The Regional Administrative Court of Lecce in Italy has ruled in favor of a 68.475 MW agrivoltaic plant of X-Elio Italia. According to law firm Sani Zangrando Avvocati, the court called out the local administration to have not assessed the project's merits before denying it the approval to go ahead. An agrivoltaic project will not lead to 'excessive consumption' of the agricultural land as claimed by the administration since the panels will be high above the ground, allowing for agricultural activity underneath. The court weighed in the merits of agricultural activities being powered by clean energy sources as a positive in this case to rule in favor of the project especially noting the role of agrivoltaics in helping the country decarbonize itself. The law firm has provided a link to the court ruling.

400 MW solar farm planned in East Yorkshire: Boom Power has secured export grid capacity of 400 MW for a large scale solar farm at Drax Power Station in Yorkshire, UK. It is currently working with landowners and the National Grid for the East Yorkshire Solar Farm near Howden. The company says it would be deemed a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). The project will increase the company's renewable pipeline of under development or operational projects to over 2 GW.