The NWE AquaCOM project helps
energy communities across North-West Europe to explore the possibilities of
aquathermal energy for their local benefit and to overcome hurdles in
implementing the technology. By
implementing three aquathermal pilots in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, the AquaCOM partnership is developing a transferable concept for community led aquathermal
energy communities. The partnership also runs an Early
Adopter programme which guides 16 energy communities across North-West
Europe, providing capacity-building and tailored expert support. While early
adopters benefit from the guidance of AquaCOM project partners, they also help inspire
and support new aquathermal energy communities across the region, strengthening
the network and accelerating the transition to sustainable heating. Time to
take a closer look at this project!
Hop on the carousel below to learn more about AquaCOM and
its three pilot sites in Vlieland (NL), Rotselaar (BE) and Lorient (FR).
A warm shower from the Wadden Sea...
Jeroen Buis has spent half of his life living on the small island of
Vlieland, one of the five inhabited Wadden islands off the Dutch coast.
According to him, Vlieland is the most beautiful island in the world: “The two seas, the dunes, nature, the storms, the birds and the tides
make it so beautiful.”
Jeroen loves sailing and paragliding above the dunes of Vlieland, and when he returns from the sea to the harbour, he often uses the public showers that are part of the harbour facilities. As project manager of the Interreg NWE project AquaCOM, he is well aware that the warm showers he takes are supplied by the aquathermal heat exchanger installed thanks to this project.
In fact, the Harbour of Vlieland uses aquathermal energy extracted from
the adjacent sea to heat a restaurant and a supermarket in winter, and provide
warm showers to guests during busy summer months.
Background photo: Jeroen Buis sailing in the Wadden Sea / © Jeroen Buis
... powered by aquathermal energy
Aquathermal energy is a renewable technology that extracts heat or cooling from water sources - such as rivers, lakes, canals, the sea, or wastewater - to heat and cool buildings. Research in the Netherlands carried out by CE Delft and Deltares shows that aquathermal energy, for example, from surface water, could supply more than 40% of the heat demand of buildings in the Netherlands. To help you imagine what this can look like, here is a picture of Jeroen in front of the aquathermal heat exchanger before installation at the harbour of Vlieland.
Background photo: © Jeroen Buis
Photo: ©EXTRAQT
Why aquathermal energy?
At a time of geopolitical instability and volatile energy prices, the
Harbour of Vlieland is opting for dependable heat while reducing its
reliance on fossil fuels. With aquathermal energy, the Harbour is piloting
a technology that will increase the island community’s energy independence,
provide a green source of energy and boost cost effectiveness and savings
by avoiding gas bills.
The investment made through AquaCOM is a true
lighthouse project for the island, as it has allowed inhabitants to tap into an
energy source which they were previously oblivious to:
the water surrounding them.
Background photo: © Niels Kamphorst / Unsplash
Vlieland is not working alone...
What cooperation across countries changes for people
The citizen-owned energy cooperative and AquaCOM partner Ecopower has installed an aquathermal energy system in a historical mill in Rotselaar (BE). The installation, with a heat exchanger submerged directly in the Dijle river, provides heat and hot water to the mill’s co-housing community of ~20 people. At the start, Rotselaar did not have a technical expert. “The addition of such an expert was a turning point for the project”, says Colette Van Loy, Heat Project Manager at Ecopower. She adds that the experience pushed the Harbour of Vlieland to bring in a technical expert from the beginning of their activities and allowed them to work at a faster pace.
Colette also notes the importance of seeing
how other organisations function across different countries. It allows
partners to gain knowledge about the state of aquathermal energy in other
countries and how to align on policy work. She also highlights the importance
of meeting the team behind the operation for motivation and support in
the small world of heat transition.
Background photo: AquaCOM pilot visit in Rotselaar / © AquaCOM project
Aquathermal ripple effects in Lorient
For Lucie Fauvin, Energy Project Manager at the French local public
company and AquaCOM partner SPL BER (Société Publique Locale Bois Énergie
Renouvelable), transnational exchange among partners was crucial to progress in assessing the aquathermal
potential for the city of Lorient. Where SPL BER provided partners with information
on heating infrastructure, they gained information on technical aspects regarding aquathermal components,
materials and maintenance, insurance-related issues, as well as the
community-led approach. ”The support provided to early adopters across all participating
countries was particularly valuable in helping us explore this last aspect”,
says Lucie.
The pilot in Lorient is the project’s most ambitious in terms of size
with a potential 7.8 GWh of renewable energy. SPL BER has completed a comprehensive assessment of the
aquathermal potential across the municipality of Lorient in the framework of the
project. Thanks to transnational exchange, collaborative work and technical visits with AquaCOM partners and
early adopters, SPL BER is now
ready to move from theory to practice and implement this technology in the City
of Lorient.
Background photo: AquaCOM partner meeting in Lorient / © AquaCOM project
Aquathermal
energy taking flight,
backed by European cooperation rooted on the ground
Be it the sea, rivers or estuaries - water has always shaped people and communities. AquaCOM now asks whether water can also help heat these communities. Like Jeroen and his paraglider in this picture, aquathermal energy is just taking off in North-West Europe. And depending on the country, there are different hurdles to overcome. However, for the moment, Jeroen is satisfied about one thing: "We showed that positive green projects are possible and financially interesting."
And on top of this, the Vlieland harbour facilities heated with
aquathermal energy have become evidence of something larger: European
cooperation made visible - and felt - on the ground.
Background photo: © Jeroen Buis
Sources of background photos "Vlieland is not working alone": Vlieland: © Municipality of Vlieland / Rotselaar: © Ecopower / Lorient: © Lorient Bretagne Sud Tourisme
AquaCOM key figures:
- 10 partners, lead partner: Ballyhoura Development CLG (IE)
- 4 countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands
- Cooperating from 2023 to 2027
- Budget:
€ 6.421.389
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