Vattenfall joins solar-plus-wind-plus-storage advocates with Dutch project

Vattenfall has added its name to the swelling list of proponents of solar-plus-wind-plus-storage, unveiling plans for its first ever triple hybrid.

The Swedish energy giant has chosen the Netherlands as home to a 38MW solar installation, to be built alongside a 22MW wind element and a 12MWh storage battery system.

In a statement on Monday, Vattenfall laid out the construction timeline for the triple hybrid in Haringvliet, a North Sea inlet to the southwest of major Dutch port city Rotterdam.

According to the firm, the six wind turbines will be installed first. The roll-out of some 124,000 PV panels will ensue, followed by the delivery of BMW storage batteries via 12 shipping units.

Construction of the complex – set to require an overall investment of €61 million (around US$68 million) – should see the plant in operation by September 2020, Vattenfall explained.

Contacted by PV Tech, Vattenfall confirmed the triple complex is its first ever but did not shed light on the scheme’s likely financing arrangements by the time this article was published.

For the firm, the hybrid foray follows its launch of a €500 million (US$560 million) green bond in June, meant to finance projects in renewables, energy efficiency and others.

Auspicious time for triple hybrids

Gunnar Groebler, senior VP at Vattenfall and head of the wind business area, said power hybrids are an “important building block” for his employer.

Mixing wind with PV will help limit the load on the grid compared to standalone systems and lead to fewer pronounced peaks or instances where production falls to zero, Groebler argued.

“The costs for grid connection are significantly reduced compared to standalone systems. This will reduce the cost of renewable electricity and ultimately benefit customers,” the senior VP added.

Vattenfall’s 60MW/12MWh scheme sees the Netherlands join the countries singled out in recent times to host systems mixing solar PV with wind and batteries.

The past two months alone have seen Neoen secure a planning nod for a 275MW triple hybrid in Australia and NextEra enlist a power cooperative as the offtaker of a 700MW Oklahoma hub.

This very week, the US Trade and Development Agency joined the list by agreeing to finance a feasibility study for a 150MW solar, wind and battery scheme in northern Zambia.

Researchers have highlighted the potential benefits of solar-plus-wind PPAs, with some telling PV Tech these deals will rise as benefits – particularly intermittency management – become clear.

The prospects and challenges of European solar's new era will take centre stage at Solar Media's Large Scale Solar Europe 2020, to be held in Lisbon on 31 March and 1 April 2020

Tags: solar-plus-wind, solar-plus-storage, solar-plus-wind-plus-storage, hybrid, triple hybrid, vattenfall, netherlands, europe, northern europe, largescale2020