Assen is pulling the plug on the heating network in a gas-free proving ground, and residents are not enthusiastic

Assen is temporarily pulling the plug on the mass heating network at the natural gas-free proving ground at Lariks-West. 70% in this proving ground, which includes more than 400 homes that are owner-occupied or rented, do not want to be connected to this heating network at this time. This makes the project useless.

“If too few people participate, it will be very expensive to implement,” says spokesman Laurent Dwarchois. The municipality of Assen now wants to try another part of the Larix region to roll out this heating network. It does this in cooperation with the Actium Housing Association. This includes at least 400 rental properties in Lariks-Noord.

Earlier this year, the municipality conducted a survey on the need for a communal heating network among residents of the pilot project. Show this little interest. Only half were spoken to, and only a third “probably wanted to participate.” It was then decided not to continue this heating network in the original pilot area.

According to the municipality, this does not mean that it is now abandoning the testing ground completely. “There are residents who have been thinking for years and taking steps to make their homes energy efficient,” says Councilor Martin Rasker (VVD). “We continue to support this through our Energy Coach and Asser Energy Desk.” There will also be a mass supply campaign for isolation measures for the proving grounds this fall.

Asin has been researching for five years how best to make more than 400 homes in the western Larix area, with streets such as Beck, Im, Ellin and Eby, natural gas-free before 2030. The area is one of the national test areas. That's why Assen receives €4.6 million in support from the government. More than one million euros have already been spent on various preliminary investigations.

The plan was to mass heat Larch West with hot water from Vaart. It remains to be seen whether this is also possible by transferring the test to Lariks-Noord. Because those houses are much farther from the canal. Another option is to install a heating plant, where a massive heat pump should provide mass heating for the homes.

Actium wants to make hundreds of homes in the northern part of the Larch District more sustainable. The company now wants to investigate with the municipality whether the heating network there is an “interesting solution” to move away from gas. The municipality retains the original testing area at the back. Later, you want to check again whether there is still enough interest in such a heating network, and ultimately whether it is possible to connect the entire L'Arche to such a network.

According to municipal spokesman Dwarshuis, government funding could also be used in the new pilot area. Assen believes that a communal heating system is the best alternative to natural gas, for both Larix and other neighbourhoods. “With grid heating, you don’t have to strengthen the power grid as much.” The basic principle remains that alternative heat supplies are reliable, affordable and sustainable for the population.