Brabant wants to transform old stables into solar park

Noord-Brabant is faced with many empty stables. That is why the province has come up with the idea of ​​realizing solar parks on old stable grounds. This prevents degradation and also provides green energy.

In the coming years, thousands of livestock farmers in the province are said to stop and that barn space will become empty. Research by Alterra shows that up to 2030 approximately 4.500 farms will close, accounting for approximately 8,6 million square meters of agricultural development. These locations must be repurposed. Vacancy is not desirable and attracts crime .

To lend a helping hand to these quitting farmers, Noord-Brabant has developed a plan under the motto 'stable off, sun on it'. Together with the 'Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij' and 'Mijn Zonneveld', it wants to place solar parks on the vacant building blocks.

€6.000 per hectare
The plan goes as follows: a farmer rents out his building block for a minimum of 15 years and receives an annual compensation of approximately €6.000 per hectare. After 15 years, this farmer automatically becomes the owner of the installation that has since been written off. The province promises that the income will be much higher in the following years. 

Before the panels can be placed, the stables must first be demolished. However, that costs money and is at the expense of the farmer. Farmers who do not have the money are helped. This is then settled with the annual fee.

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness. He also focuses on dairy, pig and meat markets. He also follows (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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