High-speed, future-proof district heating Hengelo
Check out the project video below:
High-speed, future-proof district heating Hengelo
Check out the project video below:
The city of Hengelo is investing firmly in smart and sustainable city solutions with several projects under way to achieve their 50% reduction target in CO2 emissions by 2020. Since 2010, Thermaflex works closely with district heating engineers from Warmtenet Hengelo (Heating network Hengelo) to formulate solutions that ensure rapid installation of networks that minimize installation costs, and disturbance to the existing environment and its residents.
The aim of this particular project was to advance the speed of the housing connections, often the most tricky and time-consuming part of the installation of district heating networks. This meant opening an entire street, trenching, laying and making the house connections to the network before closing the street in the shortest time possible.
Warmtenet Hengelo (district heating company)
SOP (installer)
Thermaflex (supplier)
The project was officially realized in full in June 2016. The next steps regarding performance evaluation and monitoring are already in place, for which Thermaflex continues its close cooperation with Warmtenet Hengelo to ensure network efficiency, as well as supporting potential expansion in the future.
Keen to take up that challenge, Thermaflex set a new world record with the connection of an entire street in just a single day! This was achieved through the development of the revolutionary FlexaNet concept: a completely pre-fabricated network section with the house connections readily attached to the main line, 100% secure and factory-tested. Up until today, not a single maintenance issue has occurred in the network.
Excellent network engineering and tailor-made preparation and testing of FlexaNet in the Thermaflex factory in Waalwijk rooted this success. The specially trained and certified system partners of SOP proved the possibility to meet the target with the necessary site preparations. This way, installation time could be cut by 80%, while limiting disturbance for the neighborhood to a bare minimum, securing access for residents again by night.
Stats:
• 80% reduction of total planned installation time
• 1 day to connect 10 house hold to the grid
• 50% CO2 reeducation targeted by 2020
• 4400 households enjoy future-proof, sustainable heating
• 9,500 tons of C02 saved per year (which is the equivalent absorbed by 475,000 trees)
On one hand, through adopting high-speed, pre-fabricated, and therefore controlled district network solutions like FlexaNet in high-density living spaces, communities can enjoy future-proof comfort at minimal cost when it comes to daily life and/or trading. On the other hand, by minimizing the need for on-site connections, labor, time and overhead costs can be drastically cut, ensuring optimal control over planning and construction schedules. With a holistic approach, respecting the needs and wishes of all stakeholders involved, cities can secure resilient communities with a smart and sustainable energy supply.
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How do you install district heating in villages with narrow streets and limited underground space? This was the central question during a recent deepdive session hosted in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The session brought together experts from the City of Amsterdam, local officials and experts from Haarlemmermeer, and Arcadis to explore practical solutions to the physical challenges of implementing district heating in dense and complex infrastructure environments.
Amsterdam has years of experience addressing similar challenges in dense urban areas where underground infrastructure is already under pressure. Experts from the City of Amsterdam were invited to share their approach, which combines long-term planning, integrated design processes, and flexibility in applying standards.
Some key principles they shared:
Sometimes, this requires deviating from standard spacing requirements. Such exceptions are only made with strong justification and agreement at the decision-making level.
Participants from Haarlemmermeer acknowledged that they face several pressing issues. With limited space in the underground and a lack of an integrated planning framework, it is difficult to make informed, long-term decisions. Three villages in the municipality are particularly challenging due to their narrow streets and aging infrastructure.
Key challenges included:
The session made clear that while every context is different, the challenges of underground infrastructure for district heating are shared across municipalities. The city of Amsterdam is a bit further ahead than Haarlemmermeer, and their expertise was already tremendously helpful. The Amsterdam case shows that smart, flexible planning—backed by clear coordination of all parties active in the underground —can lead to effective, long-term solutions.
Now the task for Haarlemmermeer is to translate these insights into concrete next steps. As one participant concluded, “We need to move from awareness to action.”
Would you like to learn more about this topic? Please contact Noor at noor@amsterdaminchange.com.
The municipality of Haarlemmermeer is actively working on the realisation of the energy transition in the municipality by, among other things, focusing on sustainable heat supplies. As part of this, a heat initiative has been started in the village of Rijsenhout (east of Haarlemmermeer). This initiative has not been taken up by the market in the past. This has led the municipality to want to take a more active role in the development of District heating in which resident participation is a crucial factor.
During the Knowledge- and Demodag on 13th of March (2025), Kelly Winters and Sophie Keijzer (Hieroo) led a session with the participants that looked at similar successful processes in the past of realising a heat network. The central questions were: What was the success and why was it a success?
Session structure and focus
During the session, the participants split into two groups. Similar processes were then discussed in the two groups in which the success factors of the realisation of energy transition projects were examined. An important example that was discussed in the session was the Schoonschip project in Amsterdam North. This project is a sustainable initiative in which residents have researched how they can live on the water in a circular and sustainable way. This resulted in a community of 46 houseboats that share energy with each other via a Smart Grid that’s cheaper and more efficient.
Outcomes and insights
During the session, various strategies were discussed to strengthen resident participation and make heat network initiatives successful. The most important points from the discussions are:
1. Composition of the initiator group: A diverse and enthusiastic group is crucial. In the Schoonschip project, the core of the success was a group of pioneers who complemented each other in creativity and expertise. Such a group can also be formed in Rijsenhout if they are properly guided and supported.
2. The role of the municipality: The municipality must be aware of the distrust that residents often have towards government institutions. Using an external intermediary or an independent entity can help to reduce this mistrust.
3. Reward and inspire: One way to involve residents in a low-interest topic such as energy is to reward them. Examples are setting up competitions, the use of ambassadors or energy coaches and the organisation of events. Linking opportunities, for example by combining energy transition with social goals such as combating energy poverty, can also play an important role.
4. Using the right moment: An important lesson from the Schoonschip project is to use external circumstances to arouse interest. A crisis, such as rising energy costs or limited energy production, can turn a low interest topic into a high interest topic for people.
5. Governance and structure: A solid Governance structure is essential. The municipality can play a role as a project manager by setting clear deadlines and formulating requirements. This helps both initiators and residents to keep focus and take steps towards concrete results.
Follow up
Do you have a tip to help the municipality of Haarlemmermeer with their district heating plans? Or do you have a question about this project? Contact Ouassim at Ouassim@amsterdaminchange.com or Noor at Noor@amsterdaminchange.com. Later this week on 27th of march, we'll dive into the technical problems that district heating poses, when there just isn't enough space in the underground to build it. If you would like to know more about this, let us know.
Jaarevent C-Creators 2024: Zet de Bouwketen in Beweging
<strong>Datum</strong>: 14 november 2024
<strong>Locatie</strong>: A Lab, Amsterdam
<strong>Tijd</strong>: 14.00 - 17.30 uur (inloop vanaf 13:30, met aansluitende borrel)
<strong>Thema</strong>: “Onderweg naar morgen – Transitie in beweging”
<strong>Beschrijving</strong>: Het Jaarevent 2024 van C-Creators brengt pioniers, beleidsmakers en ketenpartners samen om concrete stappen te zetten richting een circulaire toekomst in de bouw. Tijdens dit inspirerende evenement krijg je de kans om kennis op te doen, te netwerken en mee te denken over de toekomst van circulair bouwen.
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<strong>Voor wie</strong>: Bouwprofessionals, woningcorporaties, architecten, ontwikkelaars, gemeenten, slopers en investeerders.
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🔗 Meld je nu aan en sluit je aan bij de koplopers in de circulaire bouwsector.