District heating considered for Amsterdam’s artificial islands

Amsterdam city planners are creating islands to cater for ongoing expansion, and are seeking to utilise district energy and solar power towards powering the new developments.

Amsterdam canal with boats

Amsterdam’s Center Island is currently no more than a sand bar poking out from the city into the huge IJmeer Lake. The artificial creation will become one of 10 new residential islands rising from the depths of the IJmeer.

The gradual construction of the final four of ten islands—a project called IJburg II—is finally due to begin after a few years of zoning wrangles that stalled full development on Center Island, leaving it as a bare promontory. The archipelago will eventually be home to up to 45,000 people in 18,000 homes, 30 percent of which will be earmarked for affordable rent.

According to citylab website developers are entertaining the idea of rooftop solar cells and district heating to make the developments entirely self-sufficient. Based on experience from the IJburg’s earlier islands, self-builders are more likely to install well-insulated, eco-friendly heating and wastewater systems.

Source: COSPP