Last week, the Municipality of Uithoorn, the collective of dozens of greenhouse horticulture businesses in De Kwakel-Kudelstaart (DKK), and Switch Datacenters signed a multi-party agreement for the further development of a heat network that will be supplied with green heat through data-thermal energy from a new datacenter.
This unique initiative by the parties contributes to the sustainability transition of greenhouse horticulture in De Kwakel-Kudelstaart. Together with Greenport Aalsmeer and grid operator Liander, the parties have developed a structural, future-proof approach that makes the switch from gas to sustainable heat possible. The project recently received an SDE++ subsidy from the Dutch national government, laying the foundation for the initiative’s financial feasibility and accelerating its further development.
According to research by Liander, without this link between the datacenter and the heat network, the sustainability transition and electrification of greenhouse horticulture in this area would be a very difficult undertaking. By centrally utilizing green residual heat (data thermal energy) from the datacenter, not every grower needs an individual heat pump. This reduces pressure on the electricity grid and helps prevent grid congestion. Moreover, the physical space available to sufficiently expand the electricity grid in this area is limited. As a result, this solution can be realized earlier and requires significantly lower investment from the grid operator than alternative approaches.
The electricity for the datacenter will consist of 100% Dutch wind and solar power, making it sustainable under the latest Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The datacenter captures a large share of the energy released as heat by the servers and supplies it to the heat network. In turn, the datacenter receives cold water back from the heat network, which is used to cool customers’ server equipment. This exchange of heat and cold takes place in a closed system, without the use of drinking or surface water. The datacenter will be built modularly, in a circular manner, in a former logistics building that will be partly reused and is located close to the greenhouse horticulture area, meaning no additional land will be needed in an area where space is scarce.
The responsible alderman of Uithoorn, Jan Hazen, is positive about the initiative: “Greenhouse horticulture faces a major sustainability challenge. This project can make an important contribution by giving growers access to an alternative to natural gas based on data thermal energy. In this way, residual green heat from a datacenter is put to good use heating greenhouses. At the same time, the project can help limit the load on the electricity grid. It is an example of how parties from different sectors can work together on sustainable, future-proof solutions.”
Patrick Hogenboom, co-owner of one of the greenhouse horticulture businesses and spokesperson on behalf of DKK and the energy cooperative founded by the growers, welcomes the agreements reached: “This makes our energy supply even more sustainable and environmentally friendly, and above all less dependent on gas, the price of which is becoming increasingly unpredictable due to geopolitical tensions. With this initiative, we will soon have access to a constant heat source that allows us to bring our operations into the next phase of sustainability.”
Ruud Knorr, director of Greenport Aalsmeer, states: “De Kwakel-Kudelstaart is the largest greenhouse horticulture area within Greenport Aalsmeer. A heat network is a crucial component in making this area future-proof. In 2020, Greenport Aalsmeer drew up the regional energy inventory and subsequently brought growers together in an energy cooperative. We are very pleased with this important step toward actual realization.”
In its Datacenter Strategy Noord-Holland 2025–2027, the Province of Noord-Holland has created scope for standalone datacenter developments outside the designated cluster municipalities (Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer, and Hollands Kroon). Such developments must meet additional criteria on top of the existing siting requirements. Specifically, a datacenter development must align with the spatial and strategic objectives and ambitions of the municipality concerned, contribute to reducing grid congestion, and make a positive contribution to broad prosperity.
Huibert Baud, Director of Customer & Design at Liander: “This project shows how sustainability, digital infrastructure, and smart use of the electricity grid can go hand in hand. As grid operator, we are also encountering the spatial and energetic limits of the grid in this area. That can have consequences for housing construction and business activity. By making smart choices together with local authorities and businesses, such as centrally utilizing residual heat and flexibly managing capacity, we can still make growth possible despite scarcity. These kinds of choices and collaboration are urgently needed, because not everything can be done everywhere anymore.”
Pieter Duijves, COO and driving force behind the initiative at Switch Datacenters, looks forward to the next steps: “As a datacenter developer and operator, we want the energy released at our sites to be put to good use. By supplying our green heat as data thermal energy to the growers, while receiving cooling back in return, we effectively use the already-renewable energy twice: first to run the servers, and then to heat the greenhouses. This milestone marks the start of a wonderful example project for the Netherlands and beyond.”
The parties are still at the start of the process, and next steps are now coming into view, including further elaboration of the agreements and the preparation of detailed designs. During this phase, the parties will also consult with local residents about the plans in order to minimize impact. At the same time, the parties involved look forward to the realization of this unique project, which makes a positive contribution to the energy transition in the region. The initiative shows how greenhouse horticulture and digital infrastructure, together with government and the grid operator, can contribute to the sustainability transition of society.