Why is the heat transition necessary? What does the Heat Act say? Will there be a guarantee fund for the operation of heat networks? BNG employees Caspar Boendermaker, sector specialist in Sustainability, Heat Networks and Energy Transition, and Leo Valkenburg, senior relationship manager for Energy, Water and Telecom, addressed these questions during the webinar, which was led by Lonneke de Waal, sector lead for Government & Education. Boendermaker explained the proposed legislation for heat networks and what the financing will look like if a guarantee fund is established. ‘Such a fund will cut the financing costs in half. However, a minimum of 10% equity capital will still have to be contributed,’ said Boendermaker.
Mobilise citizens
Investing in the energy transition is very important to BNG. Through its financing activities, the bank wants to make the public domain in the Netherlands more sustainable and more social. According to BNG, heat networks play a major role in the energy transition. Valkenburg: ‘The energy transition is a huge operation. It is very important to mobilise citizens. You have to involve them at an early stage, give them confidence and insight.’ According to BNG, heat networks must be made as affordable as possible for citizens. Good cooperation between all parties involved is crucial in this regard.
If you are interested in the webinar, please email communicatie@bngbank.nl. Would you like to know more about heat networks and the added value of BNG in this area? Please contact Caspar Boendermaker.
