Europe’s largest energy storage system which uses second-life and new electric vehicle batteries has launched at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The stadium’s innovative energy storage system launched on Friday, and is the largest such system made from second-life and new electric vehicle batteries in a commercial building in Europe. Made from the equivalent of 148 Nissan LEAF batteries, the storage system is capable of storing and delivering up to 3 MW of energy.
This energy can be used by the stadium, neighbours, and the Dutch energy grid, and provides a circular economy solution for electric vehicle batteries. The project which resulted in the development of the system included contributions from Nissan, the Amsterdam Climate and Energy Fund, Eaton, The Mobility House and BAM.
How does the energy storage system work?
The Johan Cruijff Arena is home to the Dutch national football team, and also hosts concerts, dance events and business meetings, with more than two million people visiting per year. This requires significant energy expenditure, and the stadium has made several efforts in recent years to decrease its environmental impact.
The arena has 4,200 solar panels on its roof, and thanks to the new system of second-life and new electric vehicle batteries, this energy can be stored, providing back-up power and reducing the use of diesel generators. Further, by connecting to the energy grid the system can help to flatten peaks which occur during concerts, and thereby optimise energy use.
What impact will the new system have?
According to Henk van Raan, director of innovation at the Johan Cruijff Arena, the system is vitally flexible in terms of storage capacity, which in turn can reinforce the stability not only of the stadiums energy system, but of the whole of the Netherlands’ energy grid.
Van Raan explained: “Thanks to this energy storage system, the stadium will be able to use its own sustainable energy more intelligently and, as Amsterdam Energy Arena BV, it can trade in the batteries’ available storage capacity. The arena is assured of a considerable amount of power, even during an outage. As a result, the stadium will contribute to a stable Dutch energy grid. 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.”
