Rooftop solar project
Rooftop solar project
Century Aluminum Vlissingen B.V. and Zeeuwind sign agreement
Century Aluminum Vlissingen B.V. and Zeeuwind will work together to realize a large PV installation on the roofs of Century Aluminum in Ritthem. With a capacity of 3.5 MWp, this is the largest solar-on-roof project for Zeeuwind to date and one of the largest in the province of Zeeland.
The PV installation must generate more than 3 GWh of electricity. That is converted to energy for about 1000 households. For Century Vlissingen this is about 18% of the annual electricity requirement.
Since 2019, Zeeuwind and Century Aluminum Vlissingen have been discussing sustainability. Both the possibilities for wind energy and solar energy have been investigated. A study has also been launched into the construction of a small hydrogen plant. This can be partly produced with the sustainable energy of the solar panels and wind turbine.
On September 21, 2021, Century Aluminum Vlissingen B.V. and Zeeuwind signed an agreement for the realization of a large solar-on-roof project. After the signing, Zeeuwind and the Saman Group started the engineering of the project. This has been successfully completed, so that the installation of the solar roof can now be started.
“Century is pleased that the solar panel project is now actually being implemented. This is the first step in producing sustainable energy on the Century Vlissingen site.” says Hans de Jonge, manager at Century.
“The realization of a solar‐on-roof project is a time-consuming and specialist job,” says Jochem Compiet. “As Zeeuwind, we help entrepreneurs with their sustainability ambitions. We provide advice and unburden the entrepreneur in the entire process from applying for subsidies to realizing and operating the solar installation.”
“Century Vlissingen enjoys working with Zeeuwind on various projects that support our sustainability vision. Thanks to the expertise of Zeeuwind, we can accelerate our energy transition and work on our vision for the future to produce low-carbon anodes at a competitive price.” said Robert Quak.
“The engineering of the installation has become a particularly challenging job.” says Jochem Compiet of Zeeuwind. “The installation is spread over five roofs on the site of Century Aluminum Vlissingen B.V. and is eventually connected to the company’s 10KV installation, which requires a considerable effort from all parties involved. In addition, due to the complexity of the project, completing the business case was not self-evident. Many different scenarios have been worked out over the months to arrive at a feasible project. Rising material prices and their availability made it quite a puzzle. I am therefore very satisfied with the result and the collaboration with Century Vlissingen and Saman Groep.”
The materials have been ordered and construction of the solar roof will start in the first quarter of 2023. The solar installation, with a size of 3.58MWp, will generate more than 3GWh of electricity. That is converted energy for about 1000 households. For Century Vlissingen this is 20% of the annual electricity requirement.