REFORMERS

(Regional Ecosystems FOR Multiple-Energy Resilient Systems)

Renewable Energy Valleys

Thanks to the joint effort of 28 partners from 10 European countries, a large test facility in the Boekelermeer industrial park in the Dutch city of Alkmaar will demonstrate how “renewable energy valleys” can become the optimal energy system for small to medium-sized industrial sites close to residential areas.

The REFORMERS (Regional Ecosystems FOR Multiple-Energy Resilient Systems) project will demonstrate that with technologies today it is possible to transform local energy systems towards systems that are able to meet their communities’ energy needs on an annual basis through local sourcing, and thereby eliminating dependence on fossil fuels for the security of supply. At the core of the REFORMERS initiative lies the evolution of Local Energy Systems (LES) into Renewable Energy Villages (REVs) by fully satisfying their yearly local energy requirements through the harnessing of renewable resources.

In a large testbed facility in Alkmaar, the project is setting up and testing energy solutions that are both sustainable, safe, and efficient. In REFORMERS, larger communities including households, services, and light industries are already sharing and consuming renewable energy produced mostly on site and will increasingly do so while the project advances. At the heart of the project there is a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. Renewable Energy Valleys (REVs) stand at the forefront of the green transition, created as geographical areas where the production and utilisation of renewable energy are maximised through innovative technologies and sustainable infrastructure. The flagship Valley in Alkmaar exemplifies the project’s ambition, striving to meet more than 100% of its energy needs locally and to attain 75% self-sufficiency through effective management of energy demand. Upon the completion of the project, it is expected that consumers will be able to purchase renewable energy at costs below market prices. This represents a crucial step forward in making renewable energy more economically viable and widely available.

Project partner

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Coordination: Professor Thierry Coosemans)
• NEC - New Energy Coalition, the Flagship Valley Coordinator
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
• Alliander
• CERTH center for research & technology Hellas
• CIRCE — Research Centre
• DDS Streekregisseurs
• Deep Blue Italy
• Duurzaam Heiloo
• Empa — Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
• EUREC - Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres
• Gemeente Alkmaar
• HVC Energie en Hergebruik
• Hynoca
• INVESTA Expertise Centrum
• KONIN Tu Plynie Energia
• Kozani Municipality
• Holzwelt Murau
• NAPE National Energy Conservation Agency
• NXT Mobility
• Repowered
• RI.SE Research Institutes Of Sweden
• STOFF2 Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen
• Sustenso Sustainable Environmental Solutions
• TNO Innovation for Life
• TU Delft
• Withthegrid - Monitoring & Flexibility Solutions