12 million kWh of local, green electricity through unique collaboration around Goutum, municipality of Leeuwarden

With the construction of a solar park on the Drachtsterweg in Leeuwarden, 3,500 local households will have access to dark green electricity. Such an ambitious project will only get off the ground if several parties put their shoulders to the wheel. That is why Herwil van Gelder, alderman for Sustainability and Environment of the Municipality of Leeuwarden, and Bouwe de Boer, Energy Commissioner Fryslan, today witnessed the endorsement of a long-term cooperation between the Municipality of Leeuwarden, Energeia, Energie VanOns, Energiek Goutum and Dorpsbelang Goutum.

Dark green electricity for 3,500 local households
If everything goes according to plan, the 14-hectare solar park will be ready for solar energy generation in June 2020. Every year, the solar park developed by Energeia will produce around 12 million kWh of green energy, enough for around 3,500 households. That is what this locally generated electricity is for. The green energy is sold and supplied to households in Goutum, Leeuwarden and the surrounding area via energy company Energie VanOns and energy cooperative Energiek Goutum.

Working together for a green future
Several parties put their heads together for this project. Energeia develops, builds, owns and operates solar power plants and wants to play an active role in the energy transition to fully sustainably generated energy. The company leases the land for 25 years from the Municipality of Leeuwarden, which also provided the necessary permits. For the sale of the generated electricity, Energeia concluded an energy supply contract with cooperative energy company Energie VanOns, which in turn has entered into a partnership with local energy cooperative Energiek Goutum. That seems like a hassle, but it is precisely in this way that the local population benefits optimally from the generation. Their environment, their electricity.

Invest in a sustainable Leeuwarden
The collaboration not only provides green energy, but also extra money for the environment. Energeia, Energiek Goutum and Dorpsbelang Goutum set up a Sustainable Investment Fund together. Part of the profit that Energeia makes with the solar park goes to this fund. The investment fund will initiate sustainable energy investments for local society. The solar park thus contributes twice to the acceleration of the energy transition in Leeuwarden and the surrounding area.