The business parks InnoFase and Centerpoort Noord in Duiven are leading the way nationally with the arrival of Smart Energy Hubs. Mayor Huub Hieltjes hopes the Smart Energy Hubs in Duiven will be an inspiration for other municipalities. He talks about the importance and challenges.
"Duiven has the largest contiguous business park in the eastern Netherlands," says Mayor Hieltjes, a member of The Economic Board. "Particularly thanks to the business parks, about 17 to 18 thousand people earn their living daily in our municipality, which is more than the total working population. That's good for broad prosperity." He knows there is a growing need for business parks nationwide. "This is especially true for companies that are involved in the circular economy and therefore need a high environmental category."
Whoever says 'business park' and 'circularity' quickly comes up with InnoFase in Duiven. That synergy park won the Circular Economy Award in 2020 as the Netherlands' leading circular work location. Hieltjes: "For more than twenty years, a lot of attention has been paid there to sustainability and circularity. What's special about InnoFase is mainly the synergy between the companies. Among other things, they supply heat, CO2, biogas and residual waste to each other and to others."
Open map
That collaboration, he says, is a perfect breeding ground for the next step: a Smart Energy Hub. A letter of intent for this was signed two years ago by all eighteen companies present. This year it should be possible to legally complete it, including the formation of a board, Hieltjes expects.
Why is a Smart Energy Hub so interesting? "At its core, it comes down to fine-tuning the production and use of energy at local level," Hieltjes explains. "InnoFase generates energy locally with solar panels and wind turbines. You want to use that energy locally as much as possible so that TenneT's national high-voltage grid does not have to be burdened."
But that is easier said than done. "That means, among other things, playing open cards about when you need energy. That requires legally hard agreements. For example, if one company needs extra energy one morning to start up its production process, its neighbours have to recharge their electric trucks at another time. Such cooperation makes for much greater efficiency. You could even say it is necessary, because companies that want to grow are now often running into the limits of the power grid."
Next to InnoFase is the Centerpoort-Noord site. Over ten hectares will soon be added there. That extension, Centerpoort-Noord 2, will have a decentralised energy network right from the start. "The conditions of sale state that companies coming there will have to participate in energy cooperation," he says.
Oilman
So Smart Energy Hubs have a lot of potential, but there is a caveat, according to Hieltjes. "It is quite complex to arrange. You have to make legal agreements and need a board, the start-up phase costs money and you also have to think about storage. My belief is that it can only succeed if you do it from the start of a new business park, as with Centerpoort-Noord 2, or if there is already an existing form of cooperation and trust, as with InnoFase."
What role does the municipality of Duiven itself play? "We are the oil man," says Hieltjes. "We worked hard to get pilot status from the province of Gelderland with InnoFase, we bring the right people into contact with each other and if there are changes, we make sure everyone is included. As a municipality, we also continue to take a critical look at which companies fit on InnoFase, in terms of quality and sustainability."
He has great respect for the entrepreneurs at the two business parks, he reveals. "They seek cooperation and think about innovation, because they believe in this. In doing so, they look beyond their own walls. I really appreciate that, because it is quite exciting. You do give up a bit of autonomy."
Inspire
Duiven is keen to set an example. "InnoFase is one of the two pilot projects of the province of Gelderland, in which Alliander and TenneT are participating. Then-minister Jetten visited it, as did the Ministry of Economic Affairs. That shows that we are really among the frontrunners. Yes, it would be very nice if we can inspire other municipalities."
For those other municipalities, he has a few tips. "If you do this at a new business park, you must arrange everything right away. Set up an entity in which companies are obliged to participate. With an existing business park, you have to invest a lot in mutual relationships and trust. You also have to communicate why it is necessary. As mentioned, entrepreneurs give up a bit of independence. Therefore, they have to see that they benefit at the bottom of the line."
