Ecorus to supply solar power to Dutch aluminium producer Aldel

Dutch aluminium producer Damco Aluminium Delfzijl Coöperatie U.A., Delfzijl, Aldel, has set foot in an agreement with the operator of a local solar farm which will intensify its capability to source energy completely from renewable sources.

Ecorus developed its solar farm on an industrial site in Farmsum owned by local construction firm Gebroeders Borg. The agreement with Aldel will make the company taking the entire 4.5 MW peak output from the solar farm to execute its ten-year plan to shift entirely too renewable energy.

Aldel, a major electricity consumer in its own right has a considerable role to play in supporting efforts by the Netherlands electricity grid to create a more dynamic, flexible and adaptable grid that can accommodate a more distributed model of energy supply. This is particularly vital in an environment when an increasing proportion of generation capacity is accounted for by wind and solar, whose output fluctuates with the weather.

Conversations are pursuing with other solar park operators to also connect them to the grid via Aldel, which is also installing solar panels on its site in Delfzijl in cooperation with Ecorus. Connecting to the grid in this way will validate solar generators to evade having to build their costly infrastructure to obtain access to the electricity grid. Aldel will also acquire an additional source of renewable electricity to further expand its green energy supply.

The agreement with Ecorus regarding the Borg site is still subject to the approval of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

Chris McNamee, Aldel CEO said: “This is a win-win on all sides. As a large user of electricity, we can play a unique role in balancing energy supply and demand on behalf of the grid, something that is becoming increasingly important as we move away from thermal energy to renewables. For solar producers, it is easier, cheaper and less complicated to connect via a big user like us, while we have the benefit of access to solar-generated electricity which will help us fulfil our ambition of being 100% renewable-powered within ten years. Becoming a 100% green company is in our view the best way to ensure aluminium production can have a future in a country like the Netherlands.”