From a lake surrounding a 600-year-old castle to rivers flowing near brand-new buildings, heat pumps are harnessing the power of water for clean energy. Last week, a webinar explored how aquathermal energy (AE) is transforming heating and cooling in the North Sea region.
Hosted by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) on 16 October, the online event brought together a diverse group of experts, local authority representatives, and researchers from the WaterWarmth EU project.
The WaterWarmth EU project aims to establish and develop AE pilots, addressing technological readiness, infrastructure building, and policy frameworks. The project, which is funded by the Interreg North Sea Programme, spans six countries (Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France). Its 20 partners include EHPA, government bodies, universities, and energy communities. It runs until 2026
“WaterWarmth is about collaboration, bringing together communities, experts, and policymakers to scale up the potential of aquathermal energy,” explained Shanne Bouma, one of the project coordinators. “By highlighting the vital role heat pumps play in these systems, we’re showcasing just one of the many innovative solutions they offer, helping to boost heat pump deployment beyond the North Sea region.”
The webinar presented various pilot projects that demonstrate AE’s versatility. From the renovated 600-year-old Jardin d’eau d’Annevoie castle to the brand-new Dijlemolens residential and commercial complex in Leuven, both in Belgium, heat pumps play a central role in developing AE systems, explained Sebastian Baes, engineer and co-founder of EXTRAQT, a company specialising in aquathermal heating and cooling.
“Aquathermal energy is a resource that is often overlooked, but it has immense potential to support clean heating and cooling at both small and large scales, in both old and new buildings,” said Baes.
Other notable examples came from the province of Fryslân, in the Netherlands. “We are the aquathermal region of Europe,” Andries Metz, Fryslân’s Programme Leader for Aquathermal Energy and District Heating, enthusiastically summarised at the beginning of his presentation.
Surrounded by water, this small Dutch region now counts a whopping 15 active AE projects, running in combination with heat pumps and district heating and cooling (DHC) systems. “It’s a great way to keep the energy – and the money – in the community” Metz added.
The governance of AE systems was another central topic of the webinar, with Nthabi Mohlakoana( Delft University), Thomas Hoppe (University of Twente), and Sara Brogaard (Lund University) presenting their research and comparing case studies from the Netherlands and Sweden.
In Sweden, which saw a major surge in heat pump deployment following the oil crisis of the 1970s, AE is still niche compared to other clean heating and cooling solutions offered by heat pumps. In contrast, the Netherlands, despite its more recent push to replace fossil fuel systems, can count on an abundance of water resources, making it an ideal environment for AE development – as shown by the Fryslân case.
Their studies highlighted the importance of supportive policy frameworks in scaling up AE systems. These frameworks must operate at multiple levels – national, regional, and municipal – to navigate the complexities of a regulatory landscape that involves not only energy planning but also permits from bodies overseeing water resources, quality control, and environmental protection.
By focusing on community collaboration and practical applications, WaterWarmth aims to not only showcase AE’s potential but also provide a blueprint for energy projects throughout Europe. “We believe aquathermal energy can be a game-changer in how we think about clean heating and cooling,” Shanne Bouma concluded in her closing remarks. “The pilots we’ve developed in the Netherlands and Sweden are just the beginning.”
The WaterWarmth webinar series will continue to explore aquathermal energy and its role in driving the region’s transition to clean energy. To stay up-to-date, follow the project on LinkedIn and sign up for the newsletter.