Colas and BAM Royal Group, a Dutch construction company, have commissioned two cycle paths equipped with Wattway photovoltaic coating in the Netherlands. With a surface area of 1,000 m² each, they were commissioned by the provinces of North Brabant and North Holland. This is the first project of this scale in the country.

Companies and local authorities join forces to roll out sustainable solutions

The collaboration between Wattway and BAM Royal Group, a preferred partner since 2017, testifies to their technical expertise and shared commitment to roll out renewable energy on mobility infrastructure.
These two developments illustrate the efforts being made by the provinces of North Holland and North Brabant to meet their targets in the fight against global warming. These projects respond to the complex challenge of producing renewable energy despite limited land. The production of photovoltaic energy by transport infrastructure, and in particular cycle paths stretching over 35,000 km in the Netherlands, represents an attractive potential. It offers a new way of producing renewable electricity that limits the amount of soil artificialisation.

After experimentation, a more mature technology

The result of research and development by Colas in partnership with the French National Solar Energy Institute (CEA-INES), Wattway photovoltaic coating technology has reached an advanced stage of maturity, paving the way for its commercial launch from 2019. With increased power (148 compared with 119 Wp/m²), the new Wattway installations represent a significant advance in terms of sustainability and profitability. The challenge set by the provinces is for Wattway to produce 160 MWh/year of renewable energy in its first year, helping to supply the Dutch grid. The site will be monitored and maintained for 5 years.

"Wattway has evolved considerably since its launch in 2015, thanks in particular to the introduction of more than 50 pilot sites around the world.This unique experience in the traffic-ready photovoltaic coating market means that we can continue to make technological and practical advances to improve the life span of our installations and make them more competitive, says Laurent Le Boulc'h, Deputy Director for Infrastructure and Intelligent and Sustainable Mobility at Colas."

This project highlights Colas' expertise in sustainable mobility solutions and demonstrates the Group's commitment to innovation in this field.