Collaborating on more sustainable heating for greenhouse horticulture
In Zuid-Holland lies the Oostland horticultural region, next to the well-known Westland area. Oostland is the second-largest greenhouse horticulture region in the Netherlands. Since 2018, there has been a plan for a regional heating system. This system would enable approximately 250 greenhouse growers (covers 1,500 hectares of greenhouses) and 45,000 homes to move away from natural gas. The aim is to supply this heating system with sustainable heat from sources such as geothermal energy. This would ultimately save over 500 million cubic meters of natural gas and 1 megaton of CO₂ per year. Unfortunately, the plan’s development has been difficult. Municipalities, growers and developers have different interests and there is no central coordination.
Accelerating development
Rabobank considers the future of the horticultural sector vital and wants its customers to reduce their CO₂e emissions. That’s why Rabobank supports the development of the heating system in Oostland. Since 2024, we’ve been helping the parties involved work together. We’re aligning interests and helping create the preconditions for building the heating system. As a result, development in the region is now moving forward faster. The Noordpolder project is an example of this.
Heating Cooperative Noordpolder
In the Noordpolder area in Oostland, 22 growers are working together in the Warmte Coöperatie Noordpolder (Heating Cooperative Noordpolder). Their goal: to build a heating network using geothermal energy. This allows them to significantly reduce their dependence on natural gas.In 2025, the subsidy application for the network was approved. The network should be operational by early 2026.
Why a heating network with geothermal energy?
Greenhouse growers use a lot of energy to heat their greenhouses. Currently, this is mainly done with natural gas. But the sector needs to move away from gas to grow more sustainably. From 2029, energy will also become more expensive due to higher taxes and CO₂ levies. Experts expect energy costs to rise by 30 to 40 percent. It’s therefore important for growers to switch to sustainable energy now. Geothermal energy is a relatively low‑carbon heat source.
The heating network in Noordpolder
The Warmte Coöperatie Noordpolder was founded in 2018. Growers in the area wanted to research whether they could use an old geothermal source. This proved possible. Supplier 85 Degrees Renewable bought the source and developed a heating network.
The project took four years of preparation. It was difficult to convince growers to participate without certainty that the geothermal source would be realized. And the supplier only wanted to invest if enough growers would purchase heat. Now 22 growers are participating. Together they represent 140 of the area’s 160 hectares of greenhouses. They will consume 16.6 MW of geothermal energy.
Rabobank’s role
Rabobank supported the cooperative with 10,000 euros from the Rabo Development Contribution. This money comes from the cooperative dividend: part of the profit that the bank invests in local initiatives.
With this money, the cooperative could research the project’s feasibility. They calculated how much heat would be needed, what it would cost and how many growers wanted to participate. This information was essential to find a supplier and apply for subsidies. Thanks to Rabobank’s contribution, members themselves had to pay less.
Rabobank also helps other energy and heating cooperatives that are in similar development stages. With our knowledge and network, we aim to help accelerate the energy transition and support growers in making their businesses future‑proof.
Benefits
For growers, the heating network means:
The polder is ready for the stricter regulations coming in 2029. Later, the heating network will be expanded. All geothermal sources in Oostland, including Noordpolder, will be connected to form one large network. If one source fails, growers can still get heat from other sources.
For the climate, it means lower CO₂ emissions. The initiative can help reduce CO₂ emissions in greenhouse horticulture, while allowing growers to continue their production as usual.
The total investment in the project is 80 million euros, with one third of that for Noordpolder. The heating network itself costs 25 million euros. Local growers, Rabobank and the government are working together towards more sustainable greenhouse horticulture.