Dutch collective funds expansion of green heating network to Wilgenlei horticulture area

Greenhouse by Greenbrothers, Netherlands (source: company/ facebook)

As part of the NieuweWarmteNu! (NewHeatNow!) collective heat project funded by the National Growth Fund of the Netherlands, an existing regional heating network that uses residual heat and geothermal energy will expand to the Wilgenlei greenhouse horticulture area. The expansion will receive a subsidy of EUR 4.3 million.

The Municipality of Lansingerland, together with AgroEnergy, the Wilgenlei heat cooperative, and the Oostland Heat Cooperative applies for the subsidy. As some of the greenhouses in Lansingerland are already connected to a heat network that uses residual heat and geothermal heat, the parties have applied for Wilgenlei to also be connected to the network.

“We at the Wilgenlei Heat Cooperative are very pleased with this boost in terms of sustainability,” said Wilgenlei Heat Cooperative Chairman Maikel van den Berg ” A heat network like this will help us to look for a solution not individually, but together. The connection to the RoCa network gives us the opportunity in the short term to produce healthy vegetables and beautiful flowers using residual heat.”

NieuweWarmteNu! is a consortium that aims to facilitate the transition of up to 26,000 houses and 800 hectares of greenhouse horticulture from gas to more sustainable heat sources such as geothermal, residual heat, and solar thermal.

A total of EUR 200 million from the National Growth Fund is under the administration of the consortium. NWN! is currently supporting 12 concrete collective heat projects and the demonstration of 6 innovations.

Source: Gemeente Lansingerland