- November 13, 2018
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
Johan Cruijff Arena’s energy storage system – the largest in Europe using second-life and new electric vehicle batteries in a commercial building – has won the Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice.
The award-winning project is the result of collaboration between Eaton, Nissan, BAM, The Mobility House and the Johan Cruijff ArenA, supported by the Amsterdam Climate and Energy Fund (AKEF) and Interreg.
The 3 megawatt storage system in the largest multi-purpose stadium in the Netherlands, provides a more reliable and efficient energy supply and usage for the stadium, its visitors, neighbours and the Dutch energy grid.
Combining Eaton power conversion units and the equivalent of 148 Nissan LEAF batteries, the energy storage system not only enables a more sustainable energy system, it also creates a circular economy for electric vehicle batteries.
The energy storage system plays an important role in balancing supply and demand of energy in the Johan Cruijff ArenA (formerly Amsterdam ArenA); home to AFC Ajax and the Dutch National Team.
The system has a total capacity of 3 megawatt, enough to power several thousand households. This capacity also means that the energy produced by the 4,200 solar panels on the roof of the ArenA can be stored and used optimally. In addition, the energy storage system will provide back-up power, reducing the use of diesel generators, and provide relief to the energy grid by flattening the peaks that occur during concerts.
Henk van Raan, Director of Innovation at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, said:
The Johan Cruijff ArenA is one of the most sustainable stadiums in the world and leads the way in introducing smart innovations like this unique energy storage system. We are extremely honoured to be recognised for our environmental sustainability efforts.
Fabrice Roudet, Head of Energy Storage Business Unit, Electrical EMEA at Eaton, said:
The energy storage system at the Johan Cruijff ArenA is a demonstration of Eaton expertise in power management solutions. I am extremely proud of the outcome and delighted to see that this innovative project has been officially recognised.
Thomas Raffeiner, CEO and Founder of The Mobility House, said:
With the energy storage system in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, we provide another opportunity to store renewable energies. Thereby the project brings us one step closer to realising our vision of an emission-free future. Our technology already enables us to commercialise more than 2,000 vehicle batteries on the energy markets in various projects as stationary storage systems. Consequently, technically it is already possible to intelligently integrate electric vehicles into the grid to provide grid services. It will bring the energy and automotive worlds even closer together and pave the way for innovative and sustainable business models.
Jaap Hazeleger, BAM Director, added:
We believe that the need for flexible energy storage increases with the increase of sustainable energy. BAM wants to be ready to build sustainable areas of the future and therefore invests in this kind of projects. We recently installed the first district battery in a zero-energy residential area in Woerden, Netherlands. Not only the installation but also the management and operation of this district battery are in the hands of BAM and its cooperation partners. Building the present, creating the future is what BAM aims for.
Green Apple Awards
The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and have become established as a major recognition for environmental endeavour among companies, councils, communities and countries. The awards are organised by The Green Organisation – an international, independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world. The Green Apple Awards are supported by the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management and other independent bodies.
Johan Cruijff ArenA
Johan Cruijff ArenA is an important player in the top league of international, multi-purpose stadiums. It is the home of AFC Ajax and the stage for the Dutch National Team, big concerts, dance events and business meetings, welcoming more than two million visitors annually.
Together with its partners, the ArenA offers top-level services and facilities, and is constantly working on creating an optimal fan experience in and around the stadium.
In normal football/soccer mode, the venue offers capacity for 54,000 and in concert mode, the capacity is from 15,000 to 68,000 visitors.
Looking towards the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament, the stadium is undergoing a major expansion project, which will include the modernising of the concourses and the tripling of the current square meterage. The venue is focused on investing in quality over of quantity.
Amsterdam Innovation Arena
The stadium’s new energy storage system and related company, Amsterdam Energy ArenA BV, are concrete results of the innovation program managed by Amsterdam Innovation Arena, in which knowledge institutions, governments and companies such as BAM, Nissan, Eaton and The Mobility House are working on the stadium of the future.
The stadium and neighbouring area function as a Living Lab; a hotspot for testing innovations in practice. Innovative concepts and ideas, as well as proven solutions in the field of stadium construction, management and exploitation, will find their way in to stadiums, sports and recreational areas throughout the world via Johan Cruijff ArenA International.
Partners in the Amsterdam Innovation Arena are: Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam City Council, Amsterdam Smart City, TNO, KPN, KPMG, Huawei, Microsoft, Signify, Nissan, Eaton, Honeywell and BAM.
Images, courtesy: Johan Cruijff ArenA
For more information on Johan Cruijff Arena, check out their listing in the Sports Venue Business (SVB) Industry Directory by simply clicking on the image below…
