Contract for more than 12,000 plastic solar panels

The solar farms will be located near the approach routes to De Kooy Airport in Den Helder. To ensure the safety of air traffic, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Defense, has established requirements related to flight safety. The most important requirement is to prevent pilots from being blinded by the sun reflecting off the solar panels. Requirements have also been set regarding the safety of crew members and firefighters in the event of a plane crash. For this reason, plastic solar panels were chosen. These panels minimize glare and, in the event of an emergency, limit the risk of glass shards or fragments. The water board was required to submit calculations, which were verified by the Netherlands Aerospace Center. Based on these verified calculations, the Central Government Real Estate Agency approved the project. 

Energy Plant

For HHNK, this solar farm—comprising 12,000 panels—represents another major step forward in our goal of becoming energy-neutral by 2035. Our total annual electricity consumption is 80 megawatt-hours. This solar farm meets 7.3% of that total energy demand. In Den Helder, we operate the large De Helsdeur drainage pumping station and a wastewater treatment plant. To keep pace with rising sea levels, a second drainage pumping station is under construction. HHNK Director Marjan Leijen: “The solar farms are necessary to make these pumping stations and the wastewater treatment plant more sustainable. At the De Helsdeur pumping station, we also own two wind turbines, and at the wastewater treatment plant, we produce biogas. Eventually, we also want to start producing hydrogen there. This will turn the wastewater treatment plant into a true energy factory and an important energy hub for Den Helder.” 

Solarge, Dutch-made solar panels

The Ministry of Defense required that the construction of the solar park not compromise flight safety. The solution was found in Solarge’s plastic panels. This Dutch solar panel manufacturer, based in Weert, is supplying a new generation of solar panels for this project that meet the strict requirements regarding glare. HHNK set additional requirements regarding sustainability. Solarge’s panels more than meet these requirements. They contain no harmful substances such as PFAS or antimony, and the panels are designed to be fully recyclable so they never become waste. Solarge provides a take-back guarantee at the end of the panels’ lifespan. All in all, HHNK will save 3.5 million kilograms of CO2 with these panels. The CO2 footprint is up to 60% lower than that of conventional solar panels.

Nature-Inclusive

In addition to the solar parks, nature strips are also being created along the Balgzand Canal. These will provide fish spawning grounds and areas for migratory waterfowl. Thanks to these nature strips, the other landscape integration measures, the layout of the panels, and the management of the site, the solar parks meet the requirements for nature-inclusive solar parks. This is also why HHNK received an SDE subsidy for these solar parks.

Sunergetic Wins Bid

HHNK recently put the construction of the solar parks out to public bid. Sunergetic, an installation company based in Alkmaar, won the bid. The water board recently awarded the contract to Sunergetic. The installation company will build the parks in 2027 and 2028. The solar parks will be connected to HHNK’s own 10 kV grid at and around the wastewater treatment plant.