Assen can continue with the further development of plans for a collective heat network in the natural gas-free Lariks-West testing ground. Despite serious doubts among some parties as to whether water from the Vaart is the best source to heat hundreds of homes, the council factions support the plan to continue experimenting.
The test area is also getting bigger. Instead of four hundred homes, it may be eight hundred. The major challenge in the coming months will be to get local residents on board. They don’t run that fast at all.
According to most parties, this national testing ground, which is supported by the government with 4.6 million euros, is mainly intended to gain experience. And even though there are many uncertainties and doubts, no one wants Larch as a national testing ground. “But now I would like to speed up,” said ChristenUnie foreman Bouke Weening.
The municipality has been working on the pilot project for four years, with the aim of having the houses off the gas by 2030. More than a million euros have already been spent on preliminary research. And now the seventh project leader at the town hall is working on the complex job. She also wants to speed up.
The focus is now mainly on the local residents involved. They must be well informed and become so enthusiastic about the heat network that they want to participate. Better living comfort and no higher costs are the most important conditions for the living lab.
In a new Action Plan, Assen opts to continue with a two-track approach, one for the short term and one for the long term. Via the first track, they want to quickly make the houses more sustainable, especially with insulation measures. This is done in consultation with residents. By reducing the energy bill, Assen hopes to further entice them to participate in the heat network.
The second track, which takes more time, is the further development of the heating system. It is also being examined whether the original test area of four hundred homes can be expanded, or even doubled to eight hundred homes. This is due to housing corporation Actium. He owns many rental properties in Larch, and would also like to join a collective heating system.
A third partner in the Asser living lab is Enpuls Warmte Infra. This is a subsidiary of network operator Enexis, which regulates the network of the heat network. “This means that we are working towards a complete consortium and making a definitive exploitation model, which should lead to a concrete offer to residents to connect to the heating system,” said the municipality.
The most important precondition is that residents in the neighborhood must be able to connect free of charge. The collective heating system can only continue if there is sufficient interest. Alderman Martin Rasker (VVD) cannot say where the exact border is.
A decision moment will follow in the first quarter of 2024, according to the planning. Either the project continues with an implementation plan for the heating system, or it stops. More than 3.5 million euros in government funding will then remain for the implementation phase. The first million was spent on preparation and research costs, and on communication.
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