Dutch-Danish collaboration is helping accelerate the Netherlands’ district heating transition. At Confidence 2026 – The District Heating Bonanza, held in Leeuwarden on 2–4 November, one message stood out: the technical solutions and expertise are available. What matters now is turning plans into action.
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Leeuwarden, 2-4 November 2026 |Â The three-day event brought together Dutch municipalities, policymakers, utilities, and district heating professionals alongside Danish companies and experts. With DBDH actively involved, the event demonstrated how international collaboration can help the Netherlands move towards affordable, sustainable district heating.
Dutch-Danish cooperation is making a difference
Denmark has decades of experience developing efficient district heating systems, while the Netherlands has ambitious plans to expand collective heating and reduce dependence on natural gas.
Bringing these strengths together creates opportunities for progress.
Through initiatives such as Confidence, Danish knowledge and technologies meet Dutch ambitions, local expertise, and project development. The result is a practical collaboration focused on making district heating projects technically feasible, economically viable, and ready for implementation.
The discussions in Leeuwarden demonstrated the value of combining proven Danish approaches with Dutch market conditions and local requirements.
The technology is ready. What comes next?
A central theme throughout Confidence 2026 was the need to accelerate implementation.
From low-temperature network design and multiple heat sources to thermal energy storage, financing, and procurement, the event explored the technical and economic decisions that determine whether district heating projects succeed.
The necessary solutions and methodologies are already available. The challenge is increasingly about creating the right conditions for investment, making decisions, and moving projects forward.
For the Netherlands – and many other European countries – the next step is therefore not simply developing more plans but turning existing knowledge into operational district heating networks.
District heating can also help solve electricity grid challenges
One particularly interesting perspective came from Dutch electricity distribution system operator Liander.
In her keynote, The Heat Network Paradox, Rachel Marty from Liander highlighted how the value of district heating extends beyond decarbonising buildings.
Accelerating district heating deployment can also help address electricity grid congestion by reducing the need for individual electric heating solutions and supporting a more integrated approach to energy infrastructure.
This perspective is highly relevant across Europe, where electricity grids face increasing pressure from electrification.
District heating should therefore not be considered solely as a solution for sustainable heating. It can also play a strategic role in optimising the wider energy system, supporting electricity networks, and enabling cost-effective decarbonisation.
From confidence to implementation
Confidence 2026 demonstrated the importance of connecting policymakers, municipalities, utilities, technology providers, and international experts.
For DBDH, the event reinforced a central message: accelerating district heating requires both proven technical solutions and strong partnerships that can turn knowledge into action.
The Dutch-Danish collaboration provides a valuable example of how countries can learn from each other and work together to accelerate Europe’s heating transition.
The knowledge is there. The solutions are ready. Now it is time to build.
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