Partners

In line with the Paris Agreement’s goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Dutch municipalities have to decarbonize heating of buildings. For Kerkrade, carbon-neutral ways of district heating offer a suitable solution to reach this objective for much of its housing stock. However, local heat sources making this possible are insufficient, necessitating the exploration of potential further sources in the cross-border area.

As the Lead Partner, Kerkrade will coordinate the preparation of a cross-border district heating network, leveraging residual and geothermal heat from various cross-border resources, aligning with climate ambitions, and enhancing energy security and resilience.

Landgraaf has made significant strides toward green transformation and carbon neutrality by focusing on renewable energy, sustainable mobility, and energy efficiency. Besides these efforts, the Municipality of Landgraaf recognizes that a district heating network using residual heat would be the most promising alternative to natural gas for a significant portion of its built environment. However, local analysis has shown insufficient heat sources within municipal boundaries to support such a network, and existing heating companies in the region have shown no interest in developing one. Therefore, it is in the interest of Landgraaf’s residents to explore alternative possibilities in the proximity of the town, yet outside municipal boundaries. By participating in CROSS_HEAT, Landgraaf aims to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability through the development of a cross-border district heating network applying residual heat and geothermal energy in the Kerkrade-Landgraaf-Herzogenrath area.

The Municipality of Herzogenrath (situated right on the German-Dutch border) is deeply committed to green transformation, aiming for full decarbonization by 2045. By participating in the CROSS_HEAT project, Herzogenrath aims to leverage its extensive experience in energy coordination. The municipality will bring into the project its core competencies, such as effective communication with local, national, and cross-border stakeholders, and its proven ability to mobilize resources for large-scale energy initiatives. These competencies will be crucial in ensuring effective interaction and coordination with partners, particularly on the German side of the Euregion Meuse-Rhine.

Stadsregio Parkstad Limburg (SPL) is a collaborative administrative region in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. It consists of seven municipalities: Beekdaelen, Brunssum, Heerlen, Kerkrade, Landgraaf, Simpelveld, and Voerendaal. SPL is well-positioned to contribute to the success of the proposed cross-border district heating network, leveraging its long-standing experience in cross-border cooperation, energy transition, and regional development. With a history of fostering collaboration between Dutch and German regions, particularly with the City Region of Aachen, SPL is adept at navigating the bureaucratic and cultural challenges of cross-border projects. This established network ensures smooth coordination between the Dutch municipalities of Kerkrade, Landgraaf, and their German counterparts in Herzogenrath and Aachen, facilitating effective project implementation. By participating in this project, SPL will help drive the regional energy transition, strengthen cross-border ties, and contribute to a sustainable, resilient heating system for the future.

StädteRegion Aachen (SRAC) is an innovative administrative region in the southwest of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located at the tri-border area with the Netherlands and Belgium.

In CROSS_HEAT SRAC aims to leverage this network to facilitate knowledge transfer within the region and beyond. Through its involvement, Aachen will contribute to the development of a cross-border district heating network, utilizing residual heat, to support the decarbonization of the heating sector of the Region and the tri-border area, enhancing energy efficiency, sustainability, and resilience, benefiting the communities of Herzogenrath (part of StädteRegion Aachen), Kerkrade and Landgraaf. Additionally, Aachen will facilitate the scaling up of this project within the Aachen region, in line with SRAC’s strategic goals of promoting sustainable energy solutions and regional cooperation in the Aachen region.

The Institute for Transnational and Euregional Cross Border Cooperation and Mobility operates as an interdisciplinary research center within Maastricht University. The Institute focuses on issues related to cross-border mobility and cooperation, employing a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses legal, economic, cultural, and administrative perspectives.

It has extensive experience in researching cross-border infrastructure issues, including obstacles in the field of energy and renewables. Its expertise includes in-depth knowledge of cross-border legal frameworks, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement, making it a valuable partner in facilitating effective and sustainable cross-border cooperation. With a comprehensive understanding of the success factors of Interreg projects, UM-ITEM is well-equipped to contribute to CROSS_HEAT.

Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG (F-IEG) acts as a think-tank for the energy transition, developing ideas from sketch to implementation along the entire value chain of energy system transformation. In CROSS_HEAT, F-IEG will implement its activities via its Aachen-based competence center for postmining exploitation. Its role will be crucial in the modelling and conceptualization of the future crossborder district heating system. Their activities will be carried out in a structured workflow, based on more than 10 years of experience in exploring mine water potential and developing mine water projects in Germany, particularly in the Rhein-Ruhr area and the Aachen mining region, that enables the determination of the potential and feasibility of mine water exploitation for the envisaged cross-border heating network.

VITO, an independent Flemish research organization, is dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable future through innovative technological solutions. With a team of highly educated researchers, VITO focuses on various topics, including thermal energy storage, transport, and conversion. These areas, combined with smart control systems (to be applied to manage the district heating network in a way that maximizes energy efficiency and minimizes losses), are crucial for addressing future energy challenges.

In CROSS_HEAT, VITO aims to leverage its expertise in thermal energy and smart control systems to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in the Kerkrade-Landgraaf-Herzogenrath border area. VITO will apply its PathOpt tool, an optimization solution for thermal networks developed by VITO experts, to determine the optimal network layout based on specific geographical information – an essential addition for the foundation of the cross-border district heating system.

Cluster TWEED is a Belgian organization in Wallonia and Brussels, uniting two hundred entities—including companies, research centers, and academic departments—dedicated to sustainable energy advancement. Its primary mission is to facilitate the initiation of high-quality, large-scale projects in renewable energy production and utilization.

TWEED’s motivation for joining CROSS-HEAT is to stimulate the emergence of new renewable heating projects, enhance collaboration between industries and SMEs, and contribute to Wallonia’s climate and energy goals by leveraging its network and expertise in the sector.