A win-win

A heat network can be seen as a large-scale central heating system. It is a network of underground pipes supplying heat to households, businesses, but they can just as easily supply a hospital or public swimming pool. ‘Warm Dendermonde means a positive, conscious decision to go for sustainable heating for our city, using aheating network. That explains the name’, says alderman Dirk Abbeloos.

You can’t install a heating network overnight. That is why the Province of East Flanders, the City of Dendermonde and paper and cardboard manufacturer VPK in Oudegem have joined forces. It should not be surprising that a company like VPK would want to get involved with something like this. VPK’s factory produces cardboardpackaging made from 100% recycled material. A completely circular process. ‘However, running a factory does require energy. Right now some of that is generated by an old power station on the factory premises. VPK wants to get rid of that by 2030 and switch to greener energy’, explains Alexis Zenner, Managing Director of VPK Paper. ‘That is why we are also investing in this new, greener power station. It will produce residual heat, and we can use that to provide heat for some areas of the city. That will be a win-win.’

Pioneering

You can’t build a power station in a hurry. A large amount of design work is required before you can begin. ‘This is going to be thought through at the Provincial level, and we will be working and consulting closely with the city and many other stakeholders. Our aim is to minimise the impact on the surrounding area and the environment’, says An Vervliet, Provincial representative with responsibility for spatial planning.

However, there is more. The city of Dendermonde is taking an ambitious approach to the transition to more sustainable energy. It is working hard to create a heating plan that will encompass the whole of Dendermonde. The heating plan involves mapping specific areas that are suitable for installation of collective heating systems – an important step towards sustainable, fossil-free heating.

Youthful enthusiasm 

Several classes in Oudegem schools have beenworking on the theme of sustainable heating, using a very creative approach. A pile of paper and cardboard has been transformed into a large model that provides a tangible demonstration of a heating network in action. Some of these young people were also involved in a campaign video to launch Warm Dendermonde. Their stellar performance ends very appropriately with a group shout: ‘We are all giving Warm Dendermonde a big thumbs up! Why not join us?!’

So what now?

First of all there is a lot of homework to do. That includes the location study and planning procedure for the power station, which will be starting early in 2024.  The heating plan for Dendermonde is already being drafted, and this is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2024. It will demonstrate exactly where the best locations are in Dendermonde fora heating network to be installed. Discussions will then begin to find a developer and operator for the heating network. 

Development of the power station and installation of the heating network will take several years. A heating network is something that grows gradually, so not all the players will be getting involved at the same time. An initial feasibility study for the heating network has already shown a range of routes thatare technically possible. The study also confirmed that this is a promising project and has considerable potential.