Interreg

RE-Greenhouse aims to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy production in greenhouses. The project focuses on the Interreg NWE region, which has the highest density of heated greenhouses in Europe and where fossil fuels are the main energy source.

RE-Greenhouse is a collaboration of 11 partners from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg and Germany, each expert in a specific renewable energy source. In the project, we exchange expertise and set up various cross-border actions.

Project initiatives

• Pilot sites of promising renewable technologies: Pilot sites are being set up in four countries through which we are investigating and demonstrating six renewable energy technologies: heat grid, biogas, wood, pellet burner, residual heat and solar energy.
• Decision tool for greenhouse holders: the data retrieved from the pilots, together with info from stakeholder consultations and historical data, are the basis for the development of a decision tool. The idea is to use a kind of decision tree to enable greenhouse holders to determine which renewable energy source is most interesting in their situation, both technically and economically.
• Demonstrations and international exchanges: for the duration of the project, we will organise international visits to pilot sites so that we can inform greenhouse holders about the potential of the renewable energy sources studied.

Objectives

With this project, we aim to create a sustainable future for greenhouse holders. By switching to renewable energy sources, greenhouse holders increase their resilience to geopolitical shocks, such as the war in Ukraine, which affect energy supply and prices. Thanks to this transition, not only do individual greenhouse farmers become more efficient and sustainable, we also make an important contribution to broader environmental goals, food security and competitiveness in the global market of sustainable agricultural products.