AquaCOM: Aquathermal Energy in the Spotlight at Interreg NWE
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Interreg NWE highlights the AquaCOM project in a new article, supporting energy communities across North-West Europe in rolling out aquathermal energy, with pilots in Vlieland, Rotselaar and Lorient.
Aquathermal energy for energy communities
On 22 October 2026, Interreg NWE published an article about AquaCOM, a European project that helps energy communities explore the local opportunities of aquathermal energy and overcome barriers to implementation. Aquathermal energy extracts heat or cooling from water such as rivers, lakes, canals, the sea or wastewater. AquaCOM aims to develop a transferable concept for community-led aquathermal energy communities.
The project runs from 2023 to 2027 with a budget of over €6.4 million. Ten partners collaborate, with Ballyhoura Development CLG (Ireland) as lead partner. Through an Early Adopter programme, 16 energy communities receive support with capacity building and targeted expert guidance.
Three pilots as the foundation
The concept is built on three pilots:
- Vlieland (the Netherlands): the harbour uses heat from seawater to warm a restaurant and a supermarket in winter and to provide hot showers in summer. Project leader Jeroen Buis calls it a “lighthouse project” for the island and sees it as proof that green projects are feasible and financially attractive.
- Rotselaar (Belgium): the cooperative Ecopower installed a heat exchanger in the river Dijle for a historic mill housing a co-housing community of around 20 people. One lesson from this project: involve a technical expert from the start.
- Lorient (France): SPL BER investigated the municipality’s aquathermal potential, amounting to 7.8 GWh of renewable energy. It is the project’s most ambitious pilot.
Large potential, also in the Netherlands
The article also refers to research by CE Delft and Deltares indicating that aquathermal energy from surface water could cover more than 40% of the heat demand of buildings in the Netherlands. This aligns with our own potential studies for Friesland and HDSR, in which we mapped the local, deployable potential of aquathermal energy.
👉 Read the full article on the Interreg NWE website.
