Voorschoten: Natural Gas-Free

The municipality of Voorschoten is preparing for the future: a natural gas-free Voorschoten by 2050. One of the challenges leading up to that goal is to make the municipality carbon-neutral. This means that, ultimately, we aim to stop using natural gas in all homes and offices in the municipality and switch to sustainable alternatives. The transition from natural gas to another sustainable heat source in Voorschoten won’t happen overnight. Also, the same solution isn’t feasible in every neighborhood in Voorschoten. We’re working in various ways to make homes more sustainable. Here you can read about the projects we’re currently carrying out.

Heat Transition Vision

In 2021, the municipality drafted a general plan outlining how Voorschoten will transition from natural gas to sustainable heat in the future: the Heat Transition Vision. The main goal of this vision is for the municipality of Voorschoten to be CO₂-neutral by 2050. This is a mandate from the national government that every municipality must carry out. In 2021, the Voorschoten City Council adopted the Heat Transition Vision 1.0. This was followed in 2024 by the Heat Transition Vision 1.1. Based on what we know today, these documents outline how and under what conditions we intend to achieve this goal. At least every five years, an updated Heat Transition Vision will be issued, based on the latest national policies, innovations, and technical and financial insights. 

Learn more about the Heat Transition Vision.

More information

Projects

Project: Implementation Plans by Neighborhood 

To ultimately make all homes in Voorschoten more sustainable and disconnect them from natural gas, we are developing an implementation plan for each district, neighborhood, or cluster of homes that are geographically close to one another. This plan will outline, for each district, neighborhood, or cluster, the available options, what homeowners can do on their own, and what support they will receive in doing so. 

The first implementation plan is ready. It’s for the Krimwijk neighborhood. The municipality took the initiative on this and has been working closely with residents. As a result, we have a plan that’s tailored to the neighborhood. Several meetings were organized to facilitate dialogue between the municipality and homeowners. We also conducted home assessments.  

Project: WarmtelinQ in Voorschoten

A study conducted by the municipality showed that heat from WarmtelinQ could be a viable option as a source for a district heating network (a shared heating system) in large parts of Voorschoten. WarmtelinQ is a pipeline that transports residual heat from the Port of Rotterdam to our region. On July 4, 2024, the city council decided to move forward with plans to connect to WarmtelinQ. The city then, together with the city of Leiden, entered into an agreement with Gasunie (the owner of WarmtelinQ). The agreement states that Gasunie intends to create a tap-off point on the WarmtelinQ pipeline, to which Voorschoten and Leiden can connect.

The Path to 2050

The goal is to ensure that by 2050, all homes and offices will no longer be heated with natural gas but will instead use sustainable heating methods. Homes being built now are already natural gas-free. Newer homes are often well-insulated and can switch to a natural gas-free heating method with minimal modifications. For older homes, of course, the situation is different. In those cases, insulation and new insulated windows can save a lot of energy. They also make the home much more comfortable. There are three steps we plan to take to achieve the goal of a natural gas-free Voorschoten by 2050.

1. Saving Energy
You can save energy by insulating your home and sealing drafts. You might also consider underfloor heating or other forms of low-temperature heating. To determine whether your home is sufficiently insulated to, for example, heat it using an all-electric heat pump, the Dutch government developed a measurement method called “TheStandard.” This method is used in place of the energy labels we’re familiar with.  

2. Opt for the hybrid heat pump as an interim solution.
The heat pump provides the regular heat (the base load), and the gas boiler is used when it’s very cold (peak load). The advantage of this system is that natural gas consumption decreases immediately. The heat pump also provides heat with lowerCO2 emissions than a gas boiler.

3. Choose an appropriate heating solution for each neighborhood

There are three options: a district heating network, all-electric, or sustainable gases. Neighborhoods with similar characteristics have been divided into groups. For each neighborhood, we’ll determine the best solution. This depends not only on technical and economic factors, but also on social and organizational considerations. In the coming years, we will work with residents, housing cooperatives, and businesses to develop implementation plans for each neighborhood. Homeowners can make their own decisions about their homes; homeowners’ associations make these decisions collectively; and for renters, the landlord is responsible.

In some areas, we’ll get started right away; other neighborhoods will be addressed later. The WarmtelinQ page outlines the general schedule for district heating networks. The use of sustainable gases is still uncertain at this time. Whether and when the municipality of Voorschoten can implement this depends on the government.

Do you have any questions?

Check out theFAQ page. If your question isn't listed there, please send it to duurzaam@voorschoten.nl. If your question is asked frequently, we'll add it to the FAQs. That way, everyone can benefit!

Documents