International. At the Amsterdam ArenA, home of the Ajax Football Club, a sustainable energy project was implemented with the implementation of second-life batteries of the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle. The companies Eaton and The Mobility House also participated in this project.
The three-megawatt storage system combines Eaton's power management and backup units and the equivalent of 148 Nissan LEAF batteries, providing a much more reliable and efficient power supply for the stadium, its visitors, its neighbors and the Dutch power grid.
This energy storage system also creates a circular economy for the worn batteries of electric vehicles, ensuring that lighting never goes out in the famous 55,000-seat stadium, which has hosted numerous concerts and high-level sporting events over the years.
By reusing used electric vehicle batteries, the system can extract energy from the grid or store energy from renewable energy sources, providing companies with more control, greater profitability and a more sustainable option for their energy consumption.
"Thanks to this energy storage system, the stadium will be able to use its own sustainable energy more intelligently and will be able to exchange the available storage capacity of the batteries," says Henk van Raan, chief innovation officer at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. "The ArenA is assured of a considerable amount of power, even during a power grid failure. In this way, the stadium will contribute to the stability of the Dutch energy grid." The Johan Cruijff ArenA is one of the most sustainable stadiums in the world and is leading the introduction of smart innovations such as this unique energy storage system."
"At Eaton, we have designed the energy storage system specifically to meet the needs of the Johan Cruijff ArenA. This included the design of the power electronics, the integration of the battery modules for electric vehicles and the adaptation of the innovative solution to the stadium's existing infrastructure. We are very proud of the result and delighted to see that the Johan Cruijff ArenA is now more energy efficient and manages its energy in a sustainable, safe and reliable way," said Enrique Chávez, Director of Eaton CPDI Mexico.
Flexible storage capacity
The storage system plays an important role in balancing energy supply and demand in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, has a total capacity of three megawatts, enough to supply several thousand homes. This capability also means that the energy produced by the ArenA's 4,200 rooftop solar panels can also be optimally stored and used. This solution will provide backup power, reducing the use of diesel generators, and will alleviate the power grid by attenuating the peaks that occur during concerts.
