Groningen Seaports, Sunport Energy, and WIRSOL are pleased to announce the forthcoming realization of SunPort Delfzijl, the largest solar energy park in the Netherlands so far. About 123,000 solar panels will be placed on 30 hectares (about 65 soccer fields) in the southwest corner of the Delfzijl harbour area of Groningen Seaports. This approximately 30 MWp solar park provides power for industries in the Eemsdelta region and makes an important contribution to the increase in renewable energy production in the industrial area.

First solar power at the end of 2016
Yesterday, Hans Hoven, director of Sunport Delfzijl, the company that developed this solar park, and Harm Post, director of Groningen Seaports, signed the land use agreement for the construction and exploitation of the project. The project will be built with an innovative east-west orientation of the solar panels, which in this case allows for a more efficient use of the plot and a better production profile over the course of the day.

At the same time, Sunport signed an agreement whereby WIRSOL purchases the project; with Groningen Seaports as partner, WIRSOL will finance, construct, and manage the project. WIRSOL will start the construction works in the spring of 2016 and aims to have the project connected to the grid and supplying its first solar power before the end of the year.

Final agreement
In 2014, a preliminary land use agreement was signed with Groningen Seaports and in the same year the building permit was obtained. In early 2015, the project was awarded a SDE+ feed-in tariff. Under the final land use agreement signed between Groningen Seaports and Sunport Delfzijl yesterday, Groningen Seaports supplies the required plot of land for the project and has an option to participate as a shareholder in the project, as well.

Advisors
Green Giraffe has been involved as financial advisor in the financing of the project during the development phase. They actively supported the participants during the final phase of project development and contract negotiations, including the bid for the SDE+ tariff. Ecofys was involved in the early phase of the project as technical advisor.

Quotes
Quote Groningen Seaports (Harm Post): “For Groningen Seaports this development is a breakthrough in renewable energy projects – especially in view of so-called “Green Deal”, which means by the Government established targets. This investment confirms the position of Groningen Seaports in the provision of renewable energy for current and potential customers who want to use green electricity.”

Quote Sunport (Hans Hoven): “We are proud to have developed the first large scale solar park on an industrial area in The Netherlands. After we have concluded the development phase, we have chosen WIRSOL to take over the initiative from Sunport Energy and we look forward to the successful conclusion of the project and a further cooperation with this experienced partner for other projects in the Netherlands.”

Quote WIRSOL (Peter Vest): “Sunport Delzijl for WIRSOL is an important step to becoming an important player in the growing Netherlands renewable energy market. We are happy to enter into a long term and successful partnership with Groningen Seaports and Sunport Energy, both in the construction and the operation of the biggest solar project in the market so far.”

Quote GG (Bob Schulte): “We are happy and proud that we have been involved from an early phase in the development of this project, which we believe will be a showcase for future utility scale solar power generation in the Netherlands.”

Artist impression of the solar energy park of SunPort Delfzijl