By Joep Sanderink, Flagship Valley Coordinator, New Energy Coalition 

A glimpse into the progress of becoming the first Renewable Energy Valley of Europe 

Copyrights REFORMERS 2025

It feels like yesterday that we officially launched REFORMERS on November 22, 2023. Now, 15 months into the project, it is the perfect time to reflect on the progress of the Flagship Valley (FV) and the exciting milestones ahead.

Located in Alkmaar and the nearby village of Heiloo (NL), the REFORMERS Flagship Valley (FV) is centered around the Boekelermeer business park, surrounded by residential and rural areas. Led by New Energy Coalition, 13 FV partner organizations are working to transform this valley into Europe’s first CO₂-neutral Renewable Energy Valley. The goal is to integrate and optimize multiple renewable energy carriers—hydrogen, biomethane, heat, and electricity—across the entire energy value chain.

Laying the Foundations for the Renewable Energy Valley

The first 15 months focused on defining FV Key Performance Indicators, designing the FV energy system, developing the FV master plan (for implementation and operation), preparing for demonstration activities, engaging external stakeholders, and last but not least, intensively aligning all FV partner contributions. 

The main ambition of the REFORMERS project is to enhance renewable energy supplies through diversification and optimisation of the overall efficiency of local energy systems. – Copyrights REFORMERS 2025

2025: The Year of Implementation 

As a result, exciting times are ahead of us! In the course of 2025 we are expecting to reap the first benefits as: 

• HYNOCA and Sustenso will start the construction of the hydrogen value chain and the cultivation of algae, respectively, at InVesta’s center of expertise for clean molecules. 

• Hurdles of grid congestion will be overcome by the Municipality of Alkmaar who will install and integrate two large Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at the Boekelermeer harbor and at InVesta. 

• HVC will expand the capacity of the regional heat grid to Overdie where it will provide heat to residents of high-rise buildings. 

• Energy assets, businesses and residents will be equipped with Teleport Pros and Teleport Homes to enable the monitoring and control of energy flows. 

Simultaneously, major steps will be taken with a group of frontrunning companies that collectively want to overcome grid constraints and a group of residents in Heiloo that will be enabled to store and exchange renewable energy.

Advancing the Valley and Replication Strategies

After 2025, we will further advance the valley by: 

• Extending the hydrogen value chain with the integration of Stoff2’s hybrid electrolyser and connection to the hydrogen filling station operated by NXT Mobility. 

• Intending to realise two geothermal wells to feed the regional heat grid with renewable heat.
• Collecting organic waste with electric trucks, being powered by battery buffered EV charger, to feed local clean molecules producers.

• Optimally controlling the energy flows across the energy carriers within the FV through REPOWERED’s smart energy platform.

.The FV partners are also dedicated to share the best practices with the 6 Replication Valleys to replicate successful strategies and blueprints. In line with the mission of REPowerEU, REFORMERS is committed to 1) save energy, 2) diversify energy suppliers, and 3) produce clean energy, and I am proud that we are leading the pack here in Alkmaar and Heiloo.

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