How Amsterdam's smart stadium changed the game for sporting arenas

Arenas are often thought of as purely functional: a music venue, an expo or a place where athletes go head-to-head and where rivalry is encouraged.

But what if there was more to these places? What if they could also lead new innovations?

That’s exactly what the Johan Cruijff Arena did on August 11, 2024, when its home soccer team Ajax hosted rivals SC Heerenveen in a game that ran entirely on renewable energy.

By using the venue’s solar panels to power two super batteries and a wind turbine, the stadium lights, escalators, beer taps and the lighting in the players’ tunnels were all powered by clean energy.

“We try to not only be more sustainable as a total arena, but also try to educate our supporters” Tanja Dik, CEO of the Johan Cruijff Arena, told CNBC’s Converge in an interview.

The stadium’s long term goal is to achieve net positive by 2030, not just for matches, but for concerts and other events too. By collaborating with various partners including AFC Ajax and the City of Amsterdam, the Johan Cruijff Arena said it has created a green ecosystem.

“We’re not only a commercial focused company, but we are also there for the people who live in Amsterdam. We are part of the city, and also part of all the things that the city is aiming for,” Dik said.

One key partnership brought about an energy storage system made from new and secondhand car batteries. Excess energy generated from the solar panels is stored for later use, while reusing car batteries helps create a circular economy for expired ones.

“It’s also about the future, about a win-win situation and trying to find where we can strengthen each other. I think sustainability is a topic where the arena is very experienced, to be honest,” said AFC Ajax CFO Susan Lenderink.

Learn more about how the Johan Cruijff Arena is setting the standard for other stadiums by watching the video above.

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