| New developments Wind powered sea dike dam


Renewable energy company RWE is set to build wind turbines on a sea dike dam in the Netherlands. This is the first time that such a project has been undertaken.


The 7.5MW Oostpolderdijk Wind Farm in the Dutch province of Groningen is of a highly specialised technical design and will consist of three turbines. RWE and the owner of the sea dike dam, Water Board Noorderzijlvest, have researched the construction process and dike safety, as well as the impact of the project on the local environment. ASML, the world’s largest supplier of lithography systems for the


semi-conductor industry, has signed a power purchase agreement with RWE for the purchase of power generated by Oostpolderdijk


Wind Farm and other projects. “We are proud to be building Oostpolderdijk Wind Farm as the first of its kind worldwide with wind turbines on a sea dike dam. We are committed to bringing innovations like this forward, in order to further broaden and expand the opportunities in the field of sustainable electricity production,” says Katja Wünschel from RWE Renewables. “By combining knowledge, innovation and determination, we have added a new function to a sea dike dam in the Netherlands. The experience we gain from this project will be market leading and potentially open up further opportunities to build wind farms on dikes in other locations too. And of course: safety and the integrity of the dike are our top priority.”


and reducing canal maintenance costs. Putting solar panels over canals rather than on


land elsewhere can also save money, save permitting time, and gives already disturbed land a double use rather than building on undisturbed land. The project partners also anticipate adding energy storage capabilities that can support the local electric grid when solar generation is suboptimal. An estimated 2590m of solar panels are expected


to be built over three sections of Turlock Irrigation District’s canals which will be of various orientations and canal widths, ranging from 6-30m wide. It is expected that several types of solar panels may ultimately be selected for implementation so that variations in performance can be studied. An overall analysis of water, land use and


maintenance cost savings, renewable electricity generation, and corresponding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will provide Project Nexus partners a holistic look at the compounding


advantages resulting from solar over canal deployments. While Project Nexus, especially if expanded beyond a demonstration project, offers benefits to TID, the project is seen as a template with potential to be replicated elsewhere in the state to help California achieve its water and energy goals. “Research and common sense tell us that in an age of intensifying drought, it’s time to put a lid on evaporation,” said Jordan Harris, CEO of Solar AquaGrid. “We are excited to partner with Turlock Irrigation District, DWR, and UC Merced to develop this first-in-the-nation pilot project and bring needed innovation to the Central Valley. Our initial study revealed mounting solar panels over open canals can result in significant water, energy, and cost savings when compared to ground-mounted solar systems, including added efficiency resulting from an exponential shading/cooling effect. Now is the chance to put that learning to the test.” ●


References


All information provided courtesy of Turlock Irrigation District. For more details about the project visit www.tid.org/projectnexus


The study, Energy and Water Co-Benefits From Covering Canals With Solar Panels by McKuinet al, was published in Nature Sustainability in 2021. See www.nature.com/articles/ s41893-021-00693-8


Below: Its unique position as an irrigation district with over 200km of canals helped secure Turlock Irrigation District’s role in Project Nexus


www.waterpowermagazine.com | June 2022 | 29


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