Highway N470

The N470 project stands as a landmark achievement for South Holland, creating the most sustainable road in the Netherlands. This initiative aimed to revolutionize a 4,7 km long provincial road into a CO2-negative entity, self-sustaining in its lighting and signals, reducing reliance on the public grid and advancing sustainability.

The project's hallmark is its innovative DC microgrid, the first of its size in Europe. This DC microgrid not only optimizes energy efficiency but also seamlessly integrates with renewable energy sources, namely solar panels embedded in the N470's noise barriers. These panels, along with a 1MWh battery storage system, ensure that the road's lighting and traffic signals are powered sustainably, day and night. This self-sustaining installation is operating under the Current/OS set of rules for seamless, efficient energy management. Appropriately, the project is called "geeft energie" in Dutch, meaning "has energy."

The N470 project has achieved remarkable milestones in energy efficiency, resource optimization, and sustainability compared to similar AC systems, showcasing significant environmental and economic benefits.

• 10% energy savings
• 40-60% fewer converters
• 35% less copper usage
• 50% reduction in cables
• 10% smaller PV and battery installations
• 50% of annual energy needs met by renewables
• 10% reduction on CO2 emissions

*Measured by Heijmans

• 2 X 50KW AC/DC Active Front Ends (AFEs) for redundancy
• 100kWp PVs integrated in the noise barriers
• 900 kWh/70 kW Battery Storage System on DC Power ensuring 24-hour back-up
• 35 kW power of Public Lighting working on 350V
• Local DC/AC Conversion for traffic lights running on AC with local UPS (uninterruptable power supply)

• Province of Zuid Holland (project owner)
• Heijmans (former Dynniq)
• Super-B
• Eaton Netherlands