Aquacentrum Malkander at Dubbelbeek 56 is undergoing a remarkable transformation. This swimming pool, built in 1998, is being made completely natural gas-free. It is a unique project that demonstrates how an existing swimming pool can be converted into a sustainable facility. This renovation is being carried out in close collaboration with Accres, the swimming pool’s operator.
As the municipality of Apeldoorn, we are working together with residents and organisations on ‘Apeldoorn’s energy’. We have three main objectives for the period up to 2030:
Our main goal is for all of Apeldoorn’s energy to be generated locally by 2050. That is why we are going to save as much energy as possible and generate renewable energy. We are also going to heat buildings in a different way, without natural gas. Swimming pools use a lot of energy to heat the water and the pools themselves. By making Malkander gas-free, we’ll cut CO₂ emissions significantly and demonstrate that even older buildings can become sustainable.
The swimming pool currently uses a lot of energy. Thanks to the refurbishment, we are saving around 250,000 m³ of natural gas per year. This is also good news for the environment. We are preventing 447,000 kg of CO₂ emissions per year. That is roughly equivalent to 200 cars not being driven for a whole year.
The swimming pool will remain largely open during the renovation. We will also be making use of the maintenance weeks that were already scheduled, during which the swimming pool will be closed, namely from 4 to 17 August (weeks 32 and 33). There will also be disruption on one day in November. On that day, we will be switching to a new energy supply. The exact date will be announced later.
To generate solar energy, Malkander is being fitted with innovative solar carports. These are canopies over car parks fitted with solar panels. This is the first time these solar carports have been installed on public land in Apeldoorn.
With this renovation of the swimming pool, which dates from 1998, we are demonstrating that existing buildings too can have a sustainable future. The 3,345-square-metre swimming pool now has an energy rating of A and will soon be even more sustainable.
With this renovation, the council is demonstrating that we, too, are working hard to promote sustainability. We are setting a good example and inspiring residents and businesses to take action as well. The swimming pool already has a solid foundation. Through smart modifications, we are making the swimming pool completely gas-free without having to rebuild everything from scratch.
With this renovation, we are demonstrating that old buildings can be given a new, sustainable future. Malkander will serve as an example of how we want to live in 2050: energy-neutral, sustainable and comfortable. The renovated Malkander swimming pool proves that sustainability and the joy of swimming go hand in hand. A place where generations have learnt to swim, now ready for the generations of the future.
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