Het Groene Net signs agreement with SABIC

25 may 2018|News

The next step in the collaboration where residual warmth of SABIC and the BES biomass power plant will provide heat to almost 30,000 households and 80 offices.
The so-called ‘Het Groene Net (HGN)’ and the petrochemical company SABIC signed an agreement to start the engineering process for a project to provide the HGN-warmth grid with residual heat of cracker Olefins 4 of Sabic.

If the engineering process is a success with positive results for all parties, SABIC’s naphtha cracker Olefins 4 will be prepared during the Turn Around (6-yearly maintenance) in 2019 for the connection to the warmth grid of HGN. Expected is that 30,000 households and 80 offices will be connected from 2020 to the HGN. The intention is that the majority of the residual warmth will be provided by the SABIC-cracker. Expectations are that the first households and offices in Geleen, Beek and Maastricht-Aachen Airport will be connected in 2020.

The province of Limburg supports the development of the HGN and sees this as a step made in the right direction: to free up natural gas from households and offices. Eric Geurts, Limburg delegate for Energy and Sustainability: “This connection is very important for Limburg. I hope this project is an example and catalysator for other residual warmth projects in our province. Recently, we strengthen  our ambitions in the field of sustainability with an offer from the province of Limburg to the Dutch Cabinet. This development contributes to this offer.”

Roger Dieteren, Director of Het Groene Net Ontwikkel-BV emphasizes the impact of this project for this region: “For the climate, this contribution is an immense impulse. If the engineering process is a success, the link with SABIC on the Chemelot terrain causes one of the biggest, most sustainable warmth grids in the Netherlands.” He added: “In total, the saving needed for the HGN is approximately 26 million m3 natural gas and reducing the emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 with 47,000 tons. Besides this, there are concrete ideas for further expansion and linking of warmth grids in Limburg, causing the homes to become natural gas-free. Het Groene Net is a very important transition-instrument for the municipalities of Beek, Stein and Sittard-Geleen.”

A strong collaboration with the industry is necessary, explained Robert Claasen, Executive Director Chemelot: “The mission of the vision ‘Chemelot 2025’ doesn’t lie: in 2025, Chemelot should be the safest, most sustainable and competitive chemistry- and materials site of Europe. Besides that, if we want to realize the Paris goals (80%-95% CO2 reduction in 2050) an energy transition is needed and the energy-intensive industry plays a big role in this transition. It is fantastic that SABIC has an agreement with Het Groene Net. This contributes to realize this important goal. The transition to sustainable energy is of great importance at Chemelot. This agreement is an important step to make progress in this. Besides, we are looking at different opportunities at Chemelot to realize the Paris goals. This is a complex challenge, with lots of work in collaboration with governments, industry and citizens. This step of SABIC shows that the industry is capable of working at solutions.”

Jeroen Castelijn, General Manager SABIC Site Geleen added: “We make high-quality products and we strive to improve our performances in the area of safety, health, environment and quality. Handling as efficiently as possible with energy is an essential part of our industry. The collaboration with HGN makes it possible to give our residual warmth to our surroundings.”