Island of Vlieland
In the harbour of Vlieland, heat will be drawn from seawater using special collectors installed in the water. A feasibility study by the consultancy firm Ekwadraat found that this form of aquathermal energy could provide enough sustainable heating for nearly all of Oost-Vlieland. The project will pioneer the extraction of heat from saltwater - something that has not been done before in Western Europe. If successful, the system could serve as a model for similar projects elsewhere.
To explore this innovative approach, a project plan has been developed for a small-scale pilot called 'Wadden Heat Exchange', which can be expanded in the future. The pilot will be rolled out in two phases:
- Phase 1 will connect the harbour office - along with its restaurant and supermarket - to a new aquathermal heat network that includes thermal storage. The heat will be produced using a combination of water-based collectors placed in the harbour and solar panels installed on nearby roofs.
- Phase 2 will extend the network by linking up to three buildings in the nearby business park.
What makes this system unique is the combination of heat sources: it will extract low-temperature heat from saltwater (something rarely done) and combine it with high-temperature heat from solar thermal panels or solar-generated electricity. This mix of technologies makes the pilot particularly innovative.
In line with its open and replicable approach, the entire system will be managed using open-source software. All components, including sensors and local computers, will also be made publicly available.
If the pilot proves successful, it can be replicated in other locations, such as other Wadden Islands. Because it seems both realistic and technically feasible, there is already significant interest in seeing how it works in practice.