Bodemzorg Limburg manages former landfills for municipalities throughout Limburg and gives polluted soils and sites a new function. At the former Belvédère landfill, 30.000 solar panels will be installed. The plan is to start supplying the electricity grid with electricity from this project from 1 June 2020 onwards. The amount of green energy that will be generated is comparable to the annual consumption of 3.000 households. The university finances half of the solar park and in return receives 50% of the electricity generated in the form of guarantees of origin (GOs). That accounts for around 30% of the university's electricity consumption.

Municipality of Maastricht

Alderman Gert-Jan Krabbendam: "The construction of the Belvédère solar park is a major step towards making the energy in Maastricht more sustainable. The installation of solar panels on the roofs of the buildings alone is not enough. Solar parks are also essential in order to realize the climate objectives and shape the transition to a sustainable energy supply. Now that Bodemzorg Limburg and Maastricht University have signed an MEA, it can be investigated whether more old landfills can be made suitable for solar parks that can contribute to Limburg’s climate objectives. This way, sites that formerly caused pollution can now get a new sustainable destination!"

Bodemzorg Limburg

Director of Bodemzorg Limburg Dick Rootert: "In the past, the Belvédère location was used to extract minerals, after which 3.8 million tons of waste were dumped there. In the period 2003-2005, a liquid proof seal was installed to prevent the undesirable spreading of pollution via the groundwater. In 2018, the municipality granted a permit for the Belvédère solar park. After a public tendering procedure, Volta Solar was selected as the builder and manager of this 11 MW solar park. The intention is to keep the solar park in use for at least 25 years. The collaboration with Maastricht University is special."

Maastricht University

UM’s Finance Director Ruud Bollen: "UM has many monumental buildings, but few of these buildings’ roofs are suitable for solar panels. Thanks to its participation in the Belvédère solar park, UM can still generate a significant part of its electricity consumption locally and in a green way. This is an important step on the road to becoming a sustainable university by 2030."

Under the banner of #missionzeromaastricht we are working together on a sustainable city

Maastricht is fast on track on becoming fully climate neutral by applying technical-economic and societal innovations. We do this by following all kinds of paths, together with residents, companies and social organizations. One of these is the signing of Maastricht Energy Agreements with companies and other institutions and organizations.