Aquathermia

For Rijkswaterstaat, Witteveen+Bos investigated the feasibility of a plan by Alliander to heat 500 homes in Zutphen’s Waterkwartier neighbourhood, using aquathermia. The results of the study have now been presented. Alliander has decided to develop the project further, based in part on the Witteveen+Bos report.

In the summer, hot water will be pumped through a pipeline in the IJssel River past a technical area. The heat will then be stored underground. In the winter this energy will be reconverted by a heat pump and used for the residences’ heat requirements.

An optimum solution has been devised for this location because experts from various Witteveen+Bos disciplines are working together on the project. For example, we considered how best to install the inlet and outlet pipes in the river. Energy balances were also drawn up, to determine the dimensions of the pumps and pipes and to determine the system’s costs.

In December 2019 Witteveen+Bos presented the results to a large group of interested parties from the municipality, Rijkswaterstaat, Alliander and the housing corporation. The study showed that the heat supply from the IJssel is sufficient to meet the residential demand.