ResNRJwater
Given the current energy and climate crisis, we want to optimize energy supply in Northwest Europe. This certainly applies to energy-intensive sectors such as water and wastewater infrastructure. There are plenty of opportunities. There is a lot of untapped potential for the generation and use of renewable energy. Treatment plants, treatment sites, and sewers can be used to extract heat and cold, electricity (solar and wind), and green gas. The ResNRJwater project is exploiting these opportunities and developing self-sufficient energy plants that can supply energy to rural and urban communities.
What's going to happen?
The ResNRJwater project focuses on optimizing energy flows at our water board assets, such as sewage treatment plants and pumping stations, and on capturing energy in surface water, or aquathermal energy. ResNRJwater stands for Resilient Energy Supply.
Within this energy project, HHNK is working with governments and other parties in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland to develop knowledge. There are three key aspects to this.
Aquathermal energy
The various experiences of partners in the field of aquathermal energy are being compiled on a knowledge platform, and a knowledge network is being set up to highlight the application of aquathermal energy in many different situations.
Laws and regulations
The University of Galway will examine this in terms of energy production and transfer to the grid, and streamline it where possible.
Making wastewater treatment more sustainable
HHNK, along with two other partners, is making a sewage treatment plant more sustainable and will even produce more energy there.
Where is the project taking place?
The location is the wastewater treatment plant in Zaandam-Oost, where biogas is converted into a green variant of natural gas: green gas. A new heat source is needed for the digester and the buildings. Heat from the effluent and reuse of heat from the fermented sludge are potential candidates for this. The insulation of fermentation tanks (energy savings) is also being looked into, and a green gas installation is being installed. The CO2 released will be put to good use, for example in greenhouse horticulture. In addition, HHNK is continuing to work on aquathermal energy in the management area and mapping heat potential. The knowledge and experience gained will be shared on the knowledge platform.
When will the project take place and how long will it last?
The project officially started on January 1, 2024, and will run until December 31, 2027.
Who do we work with?
HHNK's partners within ResNRJwater are: Lippeverband (LV), Emschergenossenschaft (EG), BETREM, Territoire d’énergie Loire-Atlantique (TE44), Énergies Renouvelables Loire Atlantique (EnR44), Aquafin NV, Infrawatt, and the University of Galway.
Interreg
The ResNRJwater project aims to improve renewable energy production by utilizing the unused potential of wastewater in urban and rural areas.
The Interreg North West Europe Program, which subsidizes ResNRJwater, promotes international cooperation to make the living environment future-proof and programme to improving the quality of life and well-being of all residents. The programme on the living environment, residents of North West Europe, and regional inequality.
Co-financing by the Province of North Holland
The Province of North Holland is co-financing the project and has made €100,000 available.
Budget
The total budget for the HHNK project is approximately €2,405,000, of which 60% is co-financed by the European programme North West Europe programme 2021-2027 and more than 4% by the Province of North Holland.
ResNRJwater kick-off conference
On June 11 and 12, the first conference of the ResNRJwater project was held in Essen, Germany. This project aims to exploit the potential for generating and using renewable energy via the wastewater infrastructure.
The water treatment plant, the treatment areas themselves, and sewers can be used to generate heat and cold, electricity (solar and wind), and green gas. This should lead to self-sufficient energy plants that can also supply rural and urban communities with energy.
Knowledge exchange
ResNRJwater runs from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2027. Nine partners from six European countries are working on seven pilot projects and will exchange the knowledge they have developed over the coming year. They meet periodically at conferences. The first was in June 2024. The central question was how the water and wastewater sector can contribute to increasing sustainable energy supply in Northwest Europe. During the two-day event, numerous appealing examples were discussed, such as smart energy systems and energy storage, heat management and biogas production, and the application of solar energy in treatment plants.
Zaandam
The Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Authority is one of the nine partners in the project. HHNK's pilot project is the wastewater treatment plant in Zaandam-Oost. There, biogas is extracted from fermented sludge and converted into a green variant of natural gas: green gas. A new heat source is needed for the fermenter and the buildings. Heat from the treated wastewater, also known as aquathermal energy, and reuse of heat from the fermented sludge can serve this purpose. HHNK is also looking at energy savings and is therefore investigating the possibilities of insulating the fermentation tanks.
