Aquathermal Heating and Cooling for Energy Communities
Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West EuropeDescription
Strategic Adoption Guidelines and Implementation Model for Community-led Aquathermal Energy Projects(EN)
Implementation Strategy for community-led AQE (EN)
AQE Demonstrator Pilot Project(EN)
AquaCOM Aquathermal Energy Portal(EN)
AQE Knowledge Acquisition(EN)
Post-Project Uptake and Scaling Strategy for community-led AQE adoption(EN)
Website: http://aquacom.nweurope.eu
Thematic information
Priority: (VI-B_NWE_2) Smart and just energy transition
Priority specific objective: RSO2.2. Promoting renewable energy in accordance with Directive (EU) 2018/2001, including the sustainability criteria set out therein
Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility
Type of intervention: 052 Other renewable energy (including geothermal energy)
Partners (10)
Lead Partner: Ballyhoura Development CLG
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 934598784
Partner’s ID if not PIC: 190417 | 190417 | Company Number (EN)
Address: Main Street, V35 T2P3 Co Limerick, Ireland
Legal status: private
Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs
Website: http://www.ballyhouradevelopment.com
Total budget: EUR 1 388 384.60
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 833 030.76
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 555 353.84
- Provincie Fryslân
-
Name: Provincie Fryslân
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 948946636
Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL001032823B02 | KVK 01178978 | Chamber of commerce registration number (EN)
Address: Tweebaksmarkt, 8911KZ Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Regional public authority
Website: http://www.fryslan.frl
Total budget: EUR 600 006.53
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 360 003.91
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 240 002.62
- Gemeente Vlieland
-
Name: Gemeente Vlieland
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 884190115
Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL001608885B01 | KVK 01181122 | Champer of Commerce registration number (EN)
Address: Dorpsstraat , 8899 AE Vlieland, Netherlands
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Local public authority
Website: http://www.vlieland.nl
Total budget: EUR 160 019.56
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 96 011.73
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 64 007.83
GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20
Contractors:
-
Name: Reeleaf
VAT registration or tax identification number: NL 8526.23.409.B.01 -
Name: Gemeente Súdwest-Fryslân
VAT registration or tax identification number: NL87.32.88444001
-
Name: Reeleaf
- Stichting Aanloophaven Vlieland
-
Name: Stichting Aanloophaven Vlieland
Department: n/a
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 874642211
Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL005159167B01 | SBI-code: 93291 - Marinas | n/a (EN)
Address: Havenweg, 8899 BC Vlieland, Netherlands
Department address: Havenweg, 8899 BC Vlieland, Netherlands
Legal status: private
Organisation type: SME
Website: https://www.waddenhavenvlieland.nl
Total budget: EUR 590 286.89
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 354 172.13
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 236 114.76
GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20
- Société Publique Locale Bois Energie Renouvelable
-
Name: Société Publique Locale Bois Energie Renouvelable
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 884085840
Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR02849724976
Address: rue de la villeneuve – bâtiment pen men , 56100 Lorient, France
Legal status: private
Organisation type: Other
Website: http://www.splber.fr
Total budget: EUR 575 281.15
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 345 168.69
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 230 112.46
GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20
Contractors:
-
Name: S2T
VAT registration or tax identification number: 510411200
-
Name: S2T
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
-
Name: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999877262
Partner’s ID if not PIC: DE811184499
Address: Ammerländer Heerstraße, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations
Website: http://www.uol.de
Total budget: EUR 341 644.80
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 204 986.88
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 136 657.92
- Groep Huyzentruyt
-
Name: Groep Huyzentruyt
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 886270668
Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE0424.720.537
Address: Wagenaarstraat, 8791 Beveren-Leie (Waregem), Belgium
Legal status: private
Organisation type: SME
Website: http://www.groephuyzentruyt.be
Total budget: EUR 388 179.65
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 232 907.79
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 155 271.86
GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20
- REScoop.eu asbl
-
Name: REScoop.eu asbl
Department: Antwerp Office
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 939573429
Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE543.579.288
Address: Avenue des Arts , 1210 Brussels, Belgium
Department address: Posthoflei , 2600 Berchem, Belgium
Legal status: private
Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs
Website: http://www.rescoop.eu
Total budget: EUR 647 526.60
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 388 515.96
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 259 010.64
- Ecopower cv
-
Name: Ecopower cv
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 996525233
Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE445.389.356
Address: Posthoflei, 2600 Berchem-Antwerpen, Belgium
Legal status: private
Organisation type: SME
Website: http://www.ecopower.be
Total budget: EUR 1 103 419.61
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 662 051.76
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 441 367.85
GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20
- EXTRAQT bv
-
Name: EXTRAQT bv
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 884106210
Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE 0770.846.528
Address: Asstraat, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Legal status: private
Organisation type: SME
Website: http://www.extraqt.be
Total budget: EUR 626 640.00
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 375 984.00
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 250 656.00
GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20
Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner
Summary
Operation of strategic importance (OSI) or above EUR 5 million
Project acronym: AquaCOM
Project ID: NWE0100089
Project start date: 2023-07-01
Project end date: 2027-06-30
Project status: ongoing
Relevant linked projects:
- ECCO Interreg NWE- Grant Agreement No.496
- As part of the ECCO project, a prototype for an online platform (One-Stop-Shop) was developed, where energy communities could interact, find experts, collaborate around projects, and track and share their progress. When the Interreg NWE ECCO project came to an end in June 2022, the responsibility for maintaining the platform was transferred to REScoop.eu; who looked for partners that were interested in maintaining and could contribute to this platform to support the development of community energy projects. The original version was adapted to ensure it could be maintained with existing resources. In the summer of 2022, REScoop.eu launched the current platform with the support of the Interreg NWE ECCO project, the Horizon 2020 COME RES, Compile and SCCALE 203050 projects, and the outdoor clothes retailer Patagonia. (EN) | The Energy Community Platform (https://energycommunityplatform.eu) is a website that acts as a transnational information and resource repository for Energy Communities. AquaCom will expand this platform to host an aquathermal energy knowledge portal which will act as a central online hub for the dissemination of project learnings, communications, particularly those from WP3.
- REScoop.eu, an AquaCOM project partner, will be the primary link between the ECCO and the AquaCOM projects. (EN), COBEN
- COBEN is a project co-funded by the North Sea Region Programme 2014 - 2022. COBEN focusses on civic society as the key driver of the transition to renewables-based energy. The project aims to support a shift of energy value chains from centralized utilities to community-owned renewable energy enterprises that provide tangible economic, environmental and social benefits to enrolled citizens. (EN) | The COBEN project developed a structured process-management approach to civic energy. There will be synergies in the development of community benefits of decentralised renewable energy infrastructures from the COBEN project. AquaCom will build on the models and research developed in the COBEN project and will utilise COBEN’S methodology of the civic energy cycle and apply it to new areas of the decentralised renewable energy transition, I.e. aquathermal sources. This will be particularly relevant in WP1 and researchers from UOL, an AquaCOM partner, will be able to provide this link and knowledge.
- AquaCom will Build upon COBEN’s systematic process management approach for the development of Energy Communities and the project’s experience of facilitating community-shared business models in order to support the citizen-led renewable energy transition. The Civic Energy Cycle will be extended to Energy Communities participating in AquaCOM. (EN), REScoop VPP (2020-2023) Horizon 2020 project
- The REScoopVPP project aims to bring different initiatives throughout Europe together to form the largest and most advanced community-driven open smart building eco-system for REScoops and citizen energy communities. The main goal of the ecosystem is to enable end-users to lower overall energy consumption and to use primarily renewable energy whenever available. REScoopVPP aims at enabling comfortable lifestyles while consuming only renewable energy and minimizing the CO2 impact of end-users. (EN) | A set of community tools are being developed which are targeted at renewable energy cooperatives (REScoops) and citizen ECs to organise themselves as aggregators and retailers of renewable energy. The ecosystem consists of a Community-driven Flexibility Box (COFY-Box) acting as smart home controller, and a set of community tools to support energy services for aggregators, ESCO’s, BRP’s and suppliers of RES. These tools can also be applied in the smart energy system integrating Aquathermal Energy as an asset in decentralised energy systems. A link to the project exists through REScoop.eu and Ecopower who are both partners in AquaCom and REScoop VPP. (EN), cVPP (2017-2022), Interreg NWE project
- A community-based Virtual Power Plant (cVPP) facilitates local community energy initiatives to aggregate distributed generation and flexibility through an Energy Management System (EMS) platform which models price changes, energy flows and weather conditions, and thereby helps to solve the grid problems.
- In the first project phase (2017-2020), the cVPP project developed and tested a socio-technical concept of a cVPP in 3 communities in Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium and developed a Mobilisation and Replication (MoRe) model to help 9 other communities developing their own cVPPs. The second phase (2020-2022) supports the capitalization where cVPP goes from replication, doing more of the same, towards upscaling, taking cVPP to the next level.
- The MoRe model has now been picked up by Rescoop.eu, and using insights from cVPP upscaling and the transposition of the Winter Package, the model is being upgraded. (EN) | As a cVPP is organized by the community and driven by their needs, a cVPP works for citizens: it enables energy communities to manage energy demand and supply within their community and to trade energy and flexibility on markets, which helps democratise the energy system. In the current regulatory framework, the viability of cVPP business models are limited. Yet, updates of the EU’s energy policy framework (Winter Package) are expected to improve the level-playing-field for cVPPs. AquaCom associate partner Energent was a partner of cVPP and REScoop.eu joined them in the cVPP Capitalisation. AquaCom will build on the knowledge of the cVPP project and will develop the knowledege and models to suit AQE. The community and citizen based approach pf cVVP will also be utilised by AquaCom. (EN), HeatNet
- Home Projects European Projects HeatNet NWE (Completed)
- HeatNet NWE (Completed)
- www.guidetodistrictheating.eu
- September 2016 - August 2021
- HeatNet NWE is an €11.5m INTERREG North-West Europe project promoting the roll-out of the most advanced form of district heating, known as 4th Generation District Heating and Cooling, across North-West Europe.
- 4th Generation District Heating and Cooling integrates heat, electricity and energy storage to achieve an overall smart energy system, combining high energy efficiency, high shares of renewable energy and waste heat resources.
- HeatNet NWE will address the challenge of reducing CO2 emissions in North-West Europe by creating an integrated transnational approach to the supply of renewable and low carbon heat (including waste heat) to residential and commercial buildings, developed and tested in local district heating and cooling (DHC) networks in Ireland, the UK, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. (EN) | The HeatNet platform was designed to offer guidance for different types of stakeholders in a mostly non technical form so they could identify if DH is the solution for them and learn from the case studies. The infrastructure, model, knoweldge and platform developed through Heatnet will provide synergies for AquaCOM but with the intention of investigating the utilisation of HeatNet's approach specifically with AQE systems. The Mijnwater pilot in HeatNet used the water in redundant flooded mines as a heat source and knowledge from this pilot in particular will be examined in AquaCom. (EN), Sustainable Collective Citizen Action for a Local Europe (SCCALE 203050), (2022-), Horizon Europe project
- SCCALE 203050 intends to bring Europe closer to its citizens by fostering the creation of energy communities and full advantage of the favourable EU legal framework on citizen energy. It supports the scaling up of ECs across Europe in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy production, district heating and more in households and non-residential buildings. It will set up energy communities and directly support the replication of the SCCALE 203050 methodology in additional communities. It provides an EC progress monitoring tool that supports the creation, maturation and replication of ECs. The project will also develop a guide for potential community leaders to support the creation, maturation and replication of energy communities. It will develop specific key performance indicators for community leaders and municipalities to assess the maturity and growth of the energy communities in their territories, and for external partners to assess a community's maturity and financial viability. (EN) | There is a good connection between the work outlined in the SCCALE project and some of the AquaCom WP2 activities. REScoop.eu is the Coordinator of the project and Ecopower is a partner. EnergyCities, an AquaCOM associated organisation, is also a partner. (EN), Crowdthermal (Horizon 2020)
- Crowdthermal's mission is to empower the European public to directly participate in the development of geothermal projects with the help of alternative financing schemes (crowdfunding) and social engagement tools. It will develop a public engagement approach making extensive use of social media and aims to formulate new financial models for crowdsourcing, promoting alternative financing of geothermal projects in close collaboration with existing structures & conventional players. (EN) | AquaCOM may draw upon the learning and deliverables of Crowdthermal in relation too models for crowdfunding of renewable energy projects, innovative finance mechanisms and public empowerment. (EN)
Total budget/expenditure: EUR 6 421 389.39
Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 852 833.61
Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%
Co-financing sources:
- ERDF: Amount, EUR 3 852 833.61. Co-financing rate, 60.00%.
Investments, deliverables, policy contributions
(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)
Infrastructure investments:
- I2.2 - Pilot Vlieland - EUR 164 400.00 - country: Nederland (NL), town: Vlieland, street: Havenweg , 68, postal_code: 8899, Friesland (NL) (NL12), Noord-Friesland (NL124)
Deliverables:
- Methodology for devising matrix of best practice
- Data collection of region-specific and transnational information
- Data compilation and summarisation of Status Quo
- Best practice governance model and implementation/management structure for community-led AQE ECs
- Adoption and Adaption of governance structures for pilots
- Draft Strategic Adoption Guidelines for AQE Project Implementation Guide
- Finalisation & Adoption of Strategic Adoption Guidelines
- Preparation of Preliminary Joint Advocacy Strategy
- Joint Advocacy Strategy: Interim Progress Report
- AquaCOM Advocacy Strategy Framework
- Analysis and report on
- country-level AQE progress, Year 1
- Analysis and report on
- country-level AQE progress, Year 2 Update
- Analysis and report on
- country-level AQE progress, Year 3 Update
- Final Analysis and report on national & transnational AQE Environments & Contexts
- Final report with transnational and national recommendations to support future uptake of AQE
- AquaCOM Communications & Dissemination Strategy
- Joint Communications & Dissemination Action Plan
- AquaCOM Branding
- AQE Tracker
- Virtual Community of AQE Practice - Contacts
- Initiation: Definition of Scope
- Initiation: Creation of Pilot Project Steering Committees
- Planning: Adoption and Adaption of Strategy Plan (WP1)
- Planning: Environmental Impact Analysis
- Planning: Technical Design
- Planning: Economic Analysis
- Planning: Stakeholder Engagement
- Planning: Evaluation Matrix aquathermal projects (France)
- Planning: Permits
- Technical Modelling of small-scale AQE systems
- Planning: Review of Learning
- Roll-out: Procurement Netherlands
- Roll-out: Procurement Belgium
- Roll-out: Pilot Construction Netherlands
- Roll-out: Pilot Construction Belgium
- Roll-out: Monthly Crosspilot Workplace meetings
- Roll-out: Commissioning of Pilot Project Site Installations - Netherlands & Belgium
- Roll-out: Documentation of roll-out manuals and materials
- Reflection: Pilot Project Monitoring Platform
- Reflection: Review and documentation of lessons learned
- Development and preparation of materials & content for WP3 learning and capacity building supports
- Annual Pilot Sites Open Days
- AquaCOM pilot Blog
- AquaCOM Success Stories
- AQECC Terms of Reference
- AquaCOM Stakeholder Databases (national & transnational)
- AQEECC Events
- AQECC Sustainability Strategy
- Call for 'Early Adopter' Learning Communities
- Selection of 'Early Adopter' Learning Communities
- Induction & Onboarding of 'Early Adopters'
- 'Early Adopters' Learning & Participation Plans
- Reviews of Early Adopters' Learning & Participation
- 'Early Adopter' AQE Implementation Plans
- On-site Learning - Early Adopters
- AquaCOM Masterclass Series
- AquaCOM Workshop Series
- Communications Campaign - AQE Knowledge Acquisition
- Definition of AQE Toolkit Content
- Toolkit Launch
- Toolkit Dissemination
- Definition of AQE Site Assessment Tool
- Pilot testing of beta version Tool
- Launch/publication of Tool
- AQE Site Assessment Tool Manual
- AQE Site Assessment Tool Training
- Dissemination - AQE Site Assessement Tool
- Definition of Scope of Action of Research Report
- Draft Action Research Report - Early Adopters Network
- Action Research Report on participation of 'Early Adopter' Energy Communities in AquaCOM
- Audio-visual content for Research Report/ Case Study
- Design & Scope of AquaCOM AQE Knowledge Portal
- Technical development of AQE Knowledge Portal
- InterReg AquaCOM Project page
- Website updates, development & maintenance
- AQE Knowledge Portal Maintenance post-project
- AquaCOM Project Symposium
- Communications Campaign for Project Symposium
- Development of Post-project Uptake and Scaling Strategy for Community-led AQE Adoption
- Dissemination of Scaling Strategy
- AquaCOM Newsletter
- AquaCOM Project Leaflet
Deliverable (other than infrastructural investment) areas:
- Belgique/België (BE), Rotselaar, Molenstraat, 2, 3110
Programme Common Output Indicator:
-
RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
-
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
-
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
-
RCO 085 - Participations in joint training schemes, Measurement unit:
Programme Common Result Indicator:
-
RCR 081 - Completions of joint training schemes, Measurement unit:
-
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
-
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:
Programme Result Indicator:
-
PSR 1: Organisations with increased institutional capacity due to their participation in cooperation activities across borders, Measurement unit: Organisations
Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project
Financing programme
2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe
Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme
2025-05-12
No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)
70 / 70 (100%)
No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)
739 / 739 (100%)
Notes on the data