HOW TO ACHIEVE A SUSTAINABLE, LOW CARBON COMMUNITY?
The answer is easy: with a District Heating Network connected to a biomass plant, which is considered the most eco-friendly system to provide heating and hot water to homes, offices and many other infrastructures.
DUTCH ENERGY TRANSITION
The energy transition in the Netherlands is driven by two strong reasons linked to environmental risk: the higher risk of costal flooding caused by climate change and the geological consequences generated by the exploitation of the Gas Fields in the north of the Country. As part of the National policy to battle climate change and increase renewable energy supply, it was agreed in the Climate Agreement that by 2030, 1.5 million households should eliminate the use of natural gas. District heating networks are therefore seen as a key option to provide renewable heat in existing urban areas.
TWO PROJECTS DOWNTOWN
In 2018 - 2019, two Uniconfort Biomass Plants (four Boilers in total) have been installed in Bleiswijk and have been connected to the Rotterdam District Heating Network. The network ten of kilometers long offers thermal energy to many users: the area counts more than 140 flower and vegetable producers and nearly 300 acres of greenhouses to be heated. In Zaandam, a study was done to develop a new District Heating Network using biomass as main heat source. When it was installed in 2019, the Uniconfort Biomass Plant (two Boilers in total) has been connected directly to the city District Heating, heating approx. 2.500 households. The plant is situated between a hospital, a school and several apartments, close to nature conservation aeras, so it has been decided to commit to more stringent emissions limits compared to the Dutch standard.
ZAANDAM INSTALLATION IN NUMBERS
- Boiler model: Global
- thermal energy: 3400 kW
- electrical energy: 75 kW
- fuel: wood chips
BLEISWIJK INSTALLATION IN NUMBERS
- Boiler model: Global
- thermal energy: 2500 kW
- electrical energy: 2200 kW
- fuel: wood chips / wood pellets