The Boekelermeer Energy Cooperative has received a €25,000 contribution from Rabobank to support the development of a Smart Energy Hub at the Boekelermeer business park in Alkmaar. Through this initiative, companies on the site are working together to use energy more intelligently and help ease pressure on the electricity grid.
The funding comes from Rabobank’s Cooperative Dividend, a program through which the bank reinvests part of its profits in social initiatives and sustainable projects. The contribution is provided through the Rabo Development Fund, which supports energy cooperatives in the early stages of developing sustainable energy projects.
The Boekelermeer Energy Cooperative was established by companies located on the industrial estate to jointly address the increasing pressure on the electricity network. By distributing energy more efficiently at the local level and managing supply and demand more flexibly, the initiative aims to create room for further electrification, business growth and sustainability.
The project brings together companies such as Stad Alkmaar Transport, SARAWAK, REPA Transportbanden and TAQA. They collaborate with partners including Rabobank, Liander, Bedrijvenvereniging Boekelermeer, TNO, Withthegrid, Repowered, New Energy Coalition, the Province of North Holland and the Municipality of Alkmaar.
At the heart of the initiative is the development of a Smart Energy Hub. Within this system, participating companies coordinate and optimize their energy use while making more efficient use of the available grid capacity.
This approach can contribute to:
Development of the Smart Energy Hub is already progressing. A Proof of Concept for a collective Energy Management System has been launched, and discussions with grid operator Liander are ongoing to explore how the cooperative’s GTO application can be integrated into the electricity network.
In addition, the cooperative has recently launched its website.
Rabobank’s contribution will support the next phase of the project. This includes further development of the Energy Management System and the organizational structure required for collaboration between participating companies.
The initiative will start with an initial group of companies on the Boekelermeer business park, with the ambition to expand participation to other businesses in the area over time.