Assen is temporarily pulling the plug on a collective heating network in the natural gas-free testing ground in Lariks-West. 70 percent in this testing ground, with more than 400 owner-occupied and rental homes, do not want to be connected to such a heating network for the time being. This makes the project unfeasible.
“If too few people participate, realization will be too expensive,” says spokesperson Laurent Dwarshuis. The municipality of Assen now wants to experiment in another part of the Lariks district to roll out such a heating network. She does this in collaboration with housing association Actium. This involves at least 400 rental properties in Lariks-Noord.
Earlier this year, the municipality conducted a survey into the need for a collective heating network among the residents of the pilot project. This showed very little interest. Only half were spoken to, and of these only a third ‘probably wanted to participate’. It was then decided not to continue with such a heating network in the original pilot area.
According to the municipality, this does not mean that it is now abandoning the testing ground completely. “There are residents who have been thinking along for years and taking steps to make their home energy efficient. We continue to support this with our energy coach and the Asser Energy Desk,” says councilor Martin Rasker (VVD). There will also be a collective supply campaign for insulation measures for the testing ground this autumn.
Assen has been investigating for five years how to best make more than 400 houses in Lariks-West, with streets such as Beek, Eem, Ellen and Epe, natural gas-free before 2030. The area is one of the national testing grounds. That is why Assen is receiving 4.6 million euros in support from the government. More than a million euros have already been spent on various preliminary investigations.
The plan was to collectively heat Larch West with heated water from the Vaart. Whether this is also possible by moving the test to Lariks-Noord remains to be seen. Because those houses are much further from the Canal. Another option is to install a heating plant, where a mega heat pump should provide collective heating for houses.
Actium would like to make hundreds of homes in the northern part of the Larch district more sustainable. The corporation now wants to investigate with the municipality whether a heating network there is ‘an interesting solution’ to switch away from gas. The municipality is keeping the original test area at the back. Later she wants to check again whether there is still sufficient interest in such a heating network, and ultimately whether the whole of Larch can be connected to such a network.
According to municipal spokesperson Dwarshuis, the government financing may also be used in the new pilot area. Assen believes a collective heating system is the best alternative to natural gas, for both Lariks and other neighborhoods. “With a heating network you don’t have to strengthen the electricity network as much.” The basic principle remains that the alternative heat supply is reliable, affordable and sustainable for residents.
Tags: Assen pulls plug heating network gasfree testing ground residents excited
