Warm Dendermonde: A Community Heated by Biomass

A new chapter in sustainable heating is being written in Belgium. Thanks to support from the European City Facility (EUCF), the city of Dendermonde, the Province of East Flanders, and local company VPK are joining forces to launch Warm Dendermonde, a district heating network fuelled by locally sourced biomass.

The idea is simple but powerful: VPK, which produces recycled paper and cardboard in Oudegem, will replace its ageing coal plant with a modern bioenergy facility. Instead of relying on fossil fuels, the plant will run on organic biomass and even reuse paper fibers that cannot be recycled. The surplus heat from production will no longer be wasted but channeled into a new district heating network supplying homes, businesses and public buildings across the city.

A heat plan adopted in 2024 shows the potential. With an estimated 20 megawatts of capacity, the network could heat from 2,600 to 5,700 dwellings. The first focus areas are the inner city, Sint-Gillis and parts of Oudegem, but the ambition is to expand step by step as more users connect.

Energy currently represents around 72% of Dendermonde’s total carbon footprint, and by switching to bioenergy the city expects to avoid more than 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year compared with continuing to use fossil fuels.

For citizens, the network promises stable and competitive heating costs, less exposed to the volatility of international fossil fuel markets.

Warm Dendermonde brought local realities into the development process. A steering group of the city, province, VPK and regional partners is working hand in hand with citizens, schools and local organisations to shape the project together. Information sessions, educational activities and open discussions are making the community part of the journey from the very start.

The planning procedure for the bioenergy plant and the underground network is now underway. Once operational, Warm Dendermonde will show how locally sourced biomass and citizen participation can turn industrial innovation into a shared urban service. A model that other European cities can look to as they seek sustainable ways to keep their residents warm.