ERC members visited Ennatuurlijk Aardwarmte and ECW Energy for an in-depth look at one of the Netherlands’ most innovative energy ecosystems on September 18. The visit included a tour of the Agriport area, home to more than 5,000 employees, as well as the geothermal and biomass plants that power the area.

Ennatuurlijk Aardwarmte, founded in 2023 following its acquisition of ECW Energy’s geothermal activities, is now one of the country’s leading producers of geothermal heat. ECW Energy operates as a private system operator and energy trader, managing its own networks of cables and pipelines along with production and storage facilities. Together, they provide data centres and greenhouses with reliable energy and water services, including back-up supply.

This visit built on the successful ERC event Developing New Value Chains, offering members a tangible example of how an energy system can evolve step by step into a fully functioning energy hub with a business model that was unimagined at the outset. Key to this success are flexibility, strong coordination and optimisation, and partnerships with entrepreneurial companies willing to share risks and invest in innovation.

The system showcased during the visit integrates a remarkable range of components—including a biomass plant, geothermal plant, underground and above-ground water buffers, high-temperature storage, data centres, and horticulture facilities—working together to deliver power, heat, CO₂, gas, and water efficiently and sustainably.

A special thanks to Alexander van Noort, Laurens Vlaar, and Stacey Scholten of Ennatuurlijk Aardwarmte, and Gijs van Diepen of ECW Energy, for their insightful presentations and guided tour.