Parnter Extraqt had a role in the FETte session, explaining the potential quickscan
Frisian Energy Table Meeting – April 24, 2025
Knowledge Sharing on Sustainable Energy
On April 24, 2025, government representatives and energy professionals gathered for an inspiring working day organized by the Frisian Energy Table. The day was entirely dedicated to collaboration and knowledge sharing for a feasible and sustainable energy transition in Fryslân.
Legislation and Developments in Heat Supply
Nearly 50 participants were updated on current topics, including the progress of the Collective Heat Act (Wcw). The House of Representatives will make a decision on this act on May 19. The accompanying letter stated, among other things:
“The Wcw is important for the growth and sustainability of heat networks. For about one-third of Dutch households, this is the most cost-efficient way to heat sustainably. The Wcw increases public control over the realization and operation of an affordable, reliable, and sustainable heat supply. The legislative consultation will take place on May 19. The Cabinet looks forward to a fruitful exchange of views with the House on the bill.”
A positive signal, then, from the national government. It was also announced that the long-anticipated Energy Act, after multiple delays, will come into effect on January 1, 2026.
Local Initiatives and Experiences
During a plenary round, participants shared their experiences and current developments:
- A representative from the municipality of Smallingerland noted that unlike geothermal energy, aquathermy does not negatively affect drinking water sources.
- On Vlieland, where aquathermy is being explored as part of the sister project AquaCom, there has recently been a change in project leadership. The local residents’ cooperative, representing 40 potential homes, is investigating the creation of a limited liability heat company to reduce personal liability. Although residents are highly involved, the project is currently not financially viable due to its small scale.
- The municipality of Leeuwarden shared that the city council has now approved the establishment of a local heat company.
- The municipality of De Fryske Marren is still exploring this possibility.
A suggestion from the audience was to investigate whether a provincial heat company could offer a solution.
Focus on Grid Congestion
A key part of the program focused on the urgent issue of grid congestion.
Julio Ritzen provided a clear update on the current approach. A total of 21 measures are being implemented to relieve pressure on the electricity grid. Ritzen emphasized that collaboration between governments, grid operators, and market parties is essential to the success of this strategy.
Following this, Jente Hoekstra and Max Colpa, on behalf of the Acceleration Approach, presented the updated work formats (version 2.0) they have developed together with regions, grid operators, and municipalities. These formats aim to speed up decision-making and implementation. They concluded with transferable templates that can also be applied in other regions.
EXTRAQT Presents Aquathermy Potential Map
In the afternoon, consultancy firm EXTRAQT led an in-depth session on the potential of aquathermy in Fryslân. Project engineer Lenn explained how the potential map was developed: by linking regional heat demand and supply. The map shows where aquathermy is promising as a sustainable heat source.
During the interactive session, Lenn was asked about the practical use of the map. In response to a question about the role of other heat sources, he stated:
“Aquathermy is just one piece of the puzzle. It will almost always need to be supplemented with another sustainable heat source, such as geothermal energy.”
Participants also expressed interest in combining the map with other data sources, such as housing stock or existing heat demand maps. Lenn indicated that this is technically possible but noted that the current data is still too fragmented:
“What we have now is really a potential map, a first step. Work needs to be done on a practical map that can be used integrally.”
