CEP Renewable Energy, CS Energy and NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV) announced the conversion of a polluted brownfield in Holland, New Jersey, into a 17 MW solar power project. This fixed-tilt solar array was built by him in two stages on the site of a former paper mill complex.
Chris Ichter, executive vice president of CEP Renewables, said: “We worked closely with the property owner and his EPC, CS Energy, at every stage of the project to efficiently overcome the unique challenges posed by the site.”
CEV acquired Dutch projects from CEP Renewables in 2021 and now owns 63 commercial solar projects across New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with a portfolio of over 430 MW of installed capacity. .
NJR Clean Energy Ventures Vice President Robert Pohlman said: “We are committed to building a clean energy future with projects like Holland. Reclaiming brownfields and other underutilized spaces to generate clean renewable energy. At CEV, we are helping to drive emissions reduction goals and deliver clean energy innovations that drive a more sustainable future.”
In the 1990s, the former paper mill site was abandoned and dilapidated. CEP Renewables was sought by the property owner, a company decommissioning a previous industrial site, to redevelop this land. The CEP team reviewed the entire environmental history and provided critical reviews and recommendations before remediation was completed by responsible personnel. This has reduced the time required for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to issue corrective action permits. Before CEP Renewables assumed management of the site, the area was rehabilitated, restricted, and covered by engineering controls. The CEP team has strengthened existing engineering controls to be compatible with the solar redevelopment.
CEP Renewables and CS Energy also overcame some challenges, such as permitting and building the second phase of the project, which overlaps with the first phase. Additionally, the project had to be built around a historic farmhouse and power station on part of the site.
CS Energy Director of Operations Michael Dillon said: “Completing the redevelopment of this property will bring clean energy to the state and generate additional tax revenue for the local government.”
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