The Medical Center Leeuwarden is switching in phases from natural gas to sustainable geothermal energy (geothermal energy) under plans to get rid of natural gas as primary energy supply within ten years.

With geothermal energy, the hospital hopes to replace its consumption of nearly 800,000 m3 of natural gas per year. A heat extraction well in Leeuwarden will be drilled and tested in early 2021. If the test is successful, the construction and connection to the heat network (from Ennatuurlijk, ed.) Can then take place. The MCL could then switch in phases from natural gas to geothermal energy in 2022.

According to the initiators, the geothermal project in Leeuwarden is unique in the Netherlands; this is the first hospital in the Netherlands that uses geothermal energy. The Medical Center Leeuwarden (MCL) is going for sustainable geothermal energy in sea with the consortium Heat of Leeuwarden. The consortium is a collaboration between energy company Ennatuurlijk, Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, Energie Beheer Nederland and Shell. The hospital has the ambition to stop using natural gas for the primary energy supply within ten years, with a CO2 reduction of over 50 percent.

Andy van der Geest, project leader at the MCL: “In the past year, a lot of research has been done into a connection to the future heating network. Reliability of the heat supply is a necessary condition for the MCL. Geothermal heat plays an important role in the energy transition and the reduction of our CO 2 emissions. ”

Peter Slot, developer of sustainable heat at Ennatuurlijk: “In recent years, discussions have taken place with a group of large commercial gas consumers in Leeuwarden, including the MCL. They have been actively involved in the development of the heat network and the geothermal source. Without this leading group, there will be no heat network and no geothermal energy. Other participants are Achmea, M7 Real Estate and ING for their properties in Leeuwarden. ”