Emissions Thermal energy plant are 50% cleaner

The nitrogen oxide emissions of the engines of Thermal energy plant in the Utrecht Science Park have been reduced by more than 50%. This is because since the beginning of this year all the engines have been fitted one by one with a deNOx installation. The last engine has now been connected. Since then, the waste gases produced by the Thermal energy plant have been much cleaner.

As long as we still need a Thermal energy plant, we want to minimise emissions

Rob Matlener, manager energy: 'As long as we still need a Thermal energy plant, we want to minimise emissions. In addition, we are of course focusing on energy savings and the use of heat pumps and heat and cold storage. This will reduce the need for fossil heat from the Thermal energy plant and we will be moving towards CO2 neutrality in 2030.’ 

Cleanest possible emissions until transition to heat and cold storage

The Thermal energy plant - which produces both electricity and heat - together with the boiler houses currently still mainly provides the energy supply of the university. However, the Utrecht University wants to stop using natural gas as soon as possible. For this reason, she is making increasing use of heat and cold storage, a sustainable alternative to heat en cool buildings in the Utrecht Science Park.

The use of heat and cold storage to supply heat will form the basis of Utrecht University's energy supply in the future. To bridge the complete transition to heat and cold storage, the university is concentrating on making the waste gases produced by the Thermal energy plant as clean as possible.

Utrecht University worked with Array Industries within a UAV-GC agreement. The emissions specialist was responsible for both the design and the implementation of the deNOx installation.