Despite the limited financial resources in Dutch horticulture, entrepreneurs remain positive about the investment in geothermal energy. That conclusion was drawn by CEO Edward Verbakel of the VB Group during a seminar on geothermal energy in Almere, The Netherlands.
Now that a number of projects has gone to the full satisfaction of growers, the interest in sustainable energy is really gathering steam. "Still, and in spite of amply demonstrated returns, getting a project off the ground remains difficult,” says Edward Verbakel. “We're talking about very high investments, while most companies have low equity. Banks are rather reluctant to finance geothermal projects.”
Dutch greenhouse horticulture can use the concept of geothermal heat to claim a leading position in this field. "We are still learning every day, but in general the returns are increasing. The impact of such projects is massive in a social sense. The project Greenwell Westland for example, is saving an amount of energy equivalent to the consumption of 3550 households."