Utrecht to install massive Tesla solar battery to charge electric cars; largest energy storage in Benelux

Utrecht will soon be the site of the largest green energy storage in the Benelux. A gigantic Tesla battery will be placed on the Jaarbeurs that will store energy from solar panels. The battery is intended to charge electric cars in the Jaarbeurs complex, Financieele Dagblad reports.

The Jaarbeurs Utrecht, grid manager Stedin, energy provider Scholt Energy and charging point developer LomboXnet all invested in this project. The contracts with Tesla have already been signed, according to the newspaper.

The massive battery will be installed just after the summer. It will be located in the P4 parking lot, behind the exhibition complex. The battery has a capacity of 1.5 megawatt per hour, enough to recharge a conventional electric car 50 times, or a Tesla car 20 times.

According to the stock exchange complex, the battery is the best solution for a logistical problem. Electric cars usually charge directly from the mains, but this risks an overload. At peak times there is a large demand on the electrical mains, with a large number of cars being charged at the same time. That requires a network connection that is not yet available, according to FD.

The participating parties therefore opted fro a battery as a buffer. Cars on the Jaarbeurs can thereby use solar power to charge, eliminating the need for a stronger mains connection. Stedin already has a similar installation at a charging point along the A2, although on a smaller scale.