Industry News

Johan Cruyff Arena launches innovative energy storage system

A new three-megawatt energy storage system has launched at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff ArenA, home of Dutch Eredivisie football club Ajax.

The ArenA said the system is the largest energy storage system using second-life and new electric vehicle batteries in a commercial building.

The project has been launched in collaboration between Nissan, Eaton, BAM, The Mobility House and the Johan Cruyff ArenA. The system is designed to provide a more reliable and efficient energy supply for the stadium, while also creating a circular economy for electric vehicle batteries.

The stadium’s director of innovation, Henk ven Raan, said: “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.”

According to the ArenA, the energy storage system has the capacity to power several thousand households. The system will also utilise the energy generated by the 4,200 solar panels on the ArenA’s roof. Additionally, back-up power will be provided by the system in a move designed to reduce the use of diesel generators and flatten energy peaks during concerts.

The stadium was formerly known as the Amsterdam ArenA but was rebranded earlier this year to bear the name of Cruyff, a legend as a player and manager for Ajax.

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