The key to a successful transition to sustainable heating is that we do it together. Residents, the local council, businesses and organisations: everyone can play their part. Together, we’ll find the best ways forward.
By 2050, Apeldoorn will have phased out natural gas. The Heat Transition Vision explains how we broadly envisage the transition from natural gas to sustainable heating. We have a lot of work ahead of us, as Apeldoorn has 72,000 homes and 9,200 buildings. A number of neighbourhoods are already using sustainable heating, such as Zuidbroek and Groot Zonnehoeve. Most, however, do not yet. We will assess which form of sustainable heating is best suited to each neighbourhood. In some cases, this will be a solution for an individual home, such as a heat pump. In others, it will be a solution for the whole neighbourhood, such as a district heating network. There isn’t a single solution for the whole of Apeldoorn. After all, every neighbourhood has its own characteristics.
In 2027, the Heating Transition Vision will be replaced by the Heating programme. In the Heating Programme, we respond to new developments and experiences.
We draw up clear plans for the neighbourhood. We consider questions such as: What is the best sustainable solution? What are the costs? How can we implement this plan? We draw up the implementation plans together with residents, because homes, neighbourhoods and residents are all different. Some people like to contribute their ideas or share their knowledge, whilst others prefer to watch from the sidelines. The aim of the neighbourhood plans is to ensure that everyone can get involved in their own way.
A number of neighbourhoods are currently preparing to switch to sustainable heating. These are Kerschoten and The Maten and the village Loenen. We call them ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’. Apeldoorn City Council is working with local businesses and residents to explore how these neighbourhoods can switch to sustainable heating. De Parken is also one of the ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’, but the initiative there has been put on hold for the time being.
Would you like to know when your neighbourhood will switch to sustainable heating? You can read more about this on the website: The Energy of Apeldoorn.
On 18 December 2025, the municipal council decided to invest in the district heating network for Kerschoten. This is a first step towards a heat roundabout: a network of district heating schemes that makes maximum use of sustainable heat from the sewage treatment works (STW). Research shows that there is enough heat to sustainably heat nearly 50,000 buildings in Apeldoorn in the future. The decision regarding Kerschoten brings that future a step closer.
With this decision, Apeldoorn, in collaboration with Gelders Warmtebedrijf, is establishing a new public heating company: Warmth for the Neighbourhood. This company is responsible for the installation, transmission and supply of heat – on a not-for-profit basis, with accountability and transparency in the interests of local residents.
In the spring of 2026, the first local residents will decide whether to join the district heating scheme. If 70% of the local residents join, the district heating scheme will go ahead.
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