ROVAR – Woensdrecht (NL)

Specialists in energy storage

Henk van de Hoek of ROVAR has a closed pig farm with breeding and finishing pigs in the extreme southwestern corner of Brabant.
The pig farm has a fairly constant demand for electricity. The largest consumption is for things such as the feed kitchen, where he processes various by-products, lighting and ventilation, among other things. Electricity consumption is highest in summer, especially for ventilation.

In 2015, he had already installed 1,300 solar panels on his stable roofs, with a combined capacity of 350,000 watt peak.

Sustainability is a top priority for him. The entrepreneur’s approach was to use as much electricity as possible that was generated on his own company. In doing so, it makes a significant contribution to lower greenhouse gas emissions. But the supply of electricity from the solar panels is very variable. There Mr. Roefs offers a suitable solution. For the realization of his project, he looked for parties that have experience with energy projects.

Roefs also contacted the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Such an innovative project on a practical level on a pig farm is special in the Netherlands. The ministry recognized the project as a demo for an innovation scheme for sustainable energy storage.

The pig farmer came to ATEPS and together we looked at the possibilities. In 2016, we installed a 20-foot reefer containing 19-inch units, a total of 126 batteries with a capacity of 300 kWh.