Today, 24 October 2023, EnergieRijk The Hague celebrates the signing of a heat covenant and the installation of a City Battery at government building Rijnstraat 8.
Several large public and private property owners will sign a cooperation agreement with renewable energy provider Eneco to further sustain the district heating network in the city centre of The Hague.
The City Battery will commence operation during a video message from Rob Jetten, Minister for Climate and Energy, and in the presence of State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Vivianne Heijen, Provincial Deputy Rijkaart of the South Holland province, and Alderman Kapteijns of the municipality of The Hague.
The City Battery will provide an opportunity to gain experience with the use of batteries to relieve the overloaded electricity grid in urban areas.
Heat covenant: working together to make sustainability possible
By signing the Heat Covenant, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, the province of South Holland, BAM, Invesis, the Union of Water Boards, the National Police, and the Haaglanden Medical Center, together with Eneco, are taking the next step towards making the district heating network in The Hague more sustainable. They will exchange knowledge about sustainability measures and initiatives and take concrete steps, such as testing the impact of temperature reduction on all partner buildings. Initial research results indicate that even with a lower supply temperature of the district heating network, users continue to experience a comfortable workplace, with reduced energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions as a result.
Rob Jetten, Minister for Energy and Climate said: “With the signing of this heat covenant, we achieve a new milestone. This allows us to take the next step together towards further sustainability of the district heating network in The Hague.”
Relieving the electricity grid with the City Battery
Further electrification of the built environment has led to shortages on the electricity grid. Therefore, it is important to gain knowledge about storing and withdrawing electricity using batteries. With the City Battery, sustainable energy can be used at times other than when it is generated, and electricity can be charged when it is abundant – and therefore cheap – for example, during periods of strong winds or abundant sunshine. In addition, peaks and troughs in the local electricity grid are improved by the City Battery, thus relieving the grid. In the longer term, batteries like the City Battery could be used in so-called Smart Grids.
The use of the City Battery will provide experience with energy storage in the city. The battery has been installed in the underpass of Rijnstraat 8 and provides (part of) the electricity supply to the office building of the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management and Foreign Affairs, as well as COA, IND, and the Repatriation and Departure Service.
Rob Jetten, Minister for Energy and Climate, said: “The City Battery enables us to learn how this method of energy storage works for use in our real estate in the centre of The Hague.”
The City Battery is an initiative of EnergieRijk The Hague and was developed with the cooperation of Ateps, BAM, Invesis, Troef Energy and the Central Government Real Estate Agency.
About Energierijk The Hague (ERDH)
ERDH is a collaboration between the government, the Province of South Holland, the Municipality of The Hague and various (semi-) public and private partners that strives for the complete sustainability of the most important government buildings in the central area of The Hague. The knowledge and experience gained are shared with other property owners and managers to ensure that government buildings are energy neutral by 2040.
Date
24/10/23
Phone
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