Aldel in Delfzijl: Aluminium is past, green energy is the future

Delfzijl will be home to the biggest battery in Europe, on the site of bankrupt Dutch aluminium producer Aldel. Amstelveen-based GIGA Storage BV will install batteries the size of fifteen football fields that can store more than a gigawatt-hour of electricity. The result is that more wind and solar farms can be linked to Groningen, Drenthe, and Friesland's high-voltage grid.

Ruud Nijs, the CEO of GIGA Storage, said, "In Flevoland, GIGA Storage is already active in storing green energy. These are disproportionate to the plans in Delfzijl. The ambition in Delfzijl is to store more than one-gigawatt hour."

A month ago, the first bankruptcy report of Aldel was published. At that point, it became apparent that the port city's aluminium manufacturing would not resume. More than thirty interested parties were for a restart, but the five bids that resulted in that interest did not lead to a sale.

Cas König, the CEO of Groningen Seaports, "This is a win-win for everyone. We are pleased with the arrival of GIGA Storage. GIGA Storage has a nice place here. It is a great development for us, and it is important to note that there is enough power left on the Aldel for further initiatives. With the storage of green electricity, we are taking another step in the energy transition. And that's exactly what we want."

König said, "GIGA uses about a quarter of the Aldel site for electricity storage. There is also interest in the rest of the site. Companies that also need electricity. And so there is. We can still find beautiful, new destinations for the site.''

Nijs said, "GIGA Storage was also interested at an early stage. The Noord-Hollanders were mainly concerned about the closed distribution network connected to the high-voltage network. The company needs this for the plans for large-scale storage of electricity. Interestingly, the connection is there, and then we no longer have to build it."

Furthermore, GIGA plays a significant part in producing substantial green electricity in Delfzijl and the neighbouring area. The balance of the high-voltage grid can be greatly improved by storing that electricity in the Aldel facility.

In Delfzijl, large amounts of power generated by the sun and wind can be stored in batteries. When there is less supply, this is then returned to the grid.

 "We want to help prevent congestion on the high-voltage grid. We hope to contribute to a stable power supply in the North at this historical place for Groningen", Njis added.

On April 14, 2023, GIGA Storage took possession of Aldel's land. Rhino, Elephant, and Buffalo are the animals the company names its projects after. In Delfzijl, the battery was christened Leopard. According to Nijs, the project's construction will last roughly three years, and Nijs anticipates that Leopard will indirectly create a significant amount of employment.