Groningen, 16 May 2025 – Yesterday, the Dorkwerd solar thermal park was officially opened by the King’s Commissioner, René Paas. This marks a significant step in the sustainable heating transition for Groningen. The park is not only the largest solar thermal park in the Netherlands but also a showcase of innovative collaboration between public and private sectors in a region with a complex history.
The realization of this solar thermal park stems from the fact that geothermal heat was not an option at the start of WarmteStad due to the region’s sensitivity to earthquakes. Rather than stepping back, alternative technologies were explored. As a result, Dorkwerd opted for solar thermal energy: a future-proof, safe, and affordable solution.
Jelmer Pijlman, Director of Novar: “This demonstrates that Groningen can lead the energy transition despite seismic concerns. This project is a testament to innovation, courage, and collaboration.”
From the earliest stages, the project has been supported by a broad coalition. WarmteStad – the public heating company of the Municipality of Groningen and the Groningen Water Company – partnered with developers Novar, K3, and technology partner TVP Solar.
“A project of this scale and complexity can only be achieved through intensive cooperation between governments, public utilities, and market players from the outset,” said Dick Takkebos, Director of WarmteStad. “And that’s exactly what happened here.”
The solar thermal park will eventually supply sustainable heat to 2,600 households in Groningen. Built on a former dredging depot owned by K3, the total area covers 22 hectares. Of this, 12 hectares are allocated to the solar thermal installation, with the remaining 10 hectares developed as a nature reserve, in line with the ecological design plan.
The park contains 24,000 advanced solar collectors supplied by TVP Solar. Thanks to a unique vacuum technology, these collectors convert sunlight into heat with high efficiency, even on cloudy days or during winter. The panels heat water to approximately 95°C, which is then transported via pipelines to a buffer tank on site.
To manage daily heating demands, the solar-generated heat is temporarily stored in a 6,000 m³ buffer tank located at the solar thermal park. But the greatest challenge lies in seasonal fluctuations: production peaks in summer while demand peaks in winter.
To address this, an innovative underground seasonal storage system has been installed at the Zernike Heating Plant. It uses a subsurface reservoir about 175 meters deep that can store up to 230 million liters of hot water.
The principle is simple and effective: surplus heat is stored underground during summer and extracted during winter—when the sun is less present but heating needs are higher. This ensures efficient alignment between production and consumption, fully synchronized with seasonal cycles.
The opening marks a new chapter in the development of sustainable energy systems in the Netherlands. The project proves that sustainability can go hand in hand with social responsibility, ecological integration, and innovation—even in locations with added sensitivities.
About TVP Solar
TVP Solar is a Swiss high-tech company providing a carbon-free solution to one of the world’s most urgent energy challenges: decarbonizing large-scale heat consumption. TVP designs, develops, manufactures, and sells innovative high-vacuum thermal solar collectors based on patented technologies. Deployed in a growing number of countries worldwide, TVP systems provide cost-effective, renewable heat that significantly reduces operational costs and CO₂ emissions.
About K3
K3 specializes in spatial development with attention to nature and landscape. This includes integrating sustainable energy projects into the landscape. The K3 organization consists of five subsidiaries, each contributing its expertise to the landscapes of the future. Subsidiary Grondbank GMG developed the soil depot at Dorkwerd, now the site of the solar thermal park.
About Novar
Novar improves the world with sustainable energy. We develop green energy systems, including solar parks, battery technology, hydrogen production, heat storage, private distribution networks, and smart grids. Currently, we are working on more than 600 projects, all focused on smart alignment of components and energy supply and demand. Our ultimate goal: 4 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030—equivalent to the energy use of one million households.
About WarmteStad
WarmteStad is the public utility company of the Municipality of Groningen and Waterbedrijf Groningen. The company supplies and develops sustainable heating for and with the people of Groningen, aiming for a CO₂-neutral city. In the future, more than 12,500 households, institutions, and businesses in northwest Groningen will be sustainably heated via WarmteStad’s network. Multiple sustainable sources will be used, including waste heat from data centers and solar thermal energy from the Dorkwerd park.
For questions, please contact our spokesperson:
Julian Uil – julian.uil@novar.nl.
Do you want to work with us, do you have questions or do you want to pass on a change? Then contact us – we’re happy to help.
