Case study: Innovation and growth
In 2022, Twence opened the manure processing plant in Zenderen. One of the raw materials produced from pig manure here is green gas. As a shareholder of Twence, the Losser municipality helped to get this innovation off the ground. And now the municipality is using the green gas to heat public buildings in Losser
"The time of talking about sustainability is over, we need to get started on a green and sustainable region," Alderman Jaimi van Essen starts the conversation. The Losser alderman is committed to a sustainable society and wants to better protect the beautiful landscape of Twente. "The manure processing plant that Twence built is a great example of working together to become more sustainable."
Sustainable energy provider
Years ago, the shareholder municipalities made agreements with Twence on how Twence is developing from a waste processor to a sustainable energy provider for the region. "Thanks to the shareholders, we can realise sustainable innovations and make a measurable contribution to the sustainable goals of our shareholders," says Twence's shareholder relations manager Frank Siebelt. Van Essen adds: "We not only made agreements with each other, but as a municipality we are also launching customers for sustainable projects." The three municipalities of Hof van Twente, Enschede and Losser buy green gas to heat their own buildings. Ten municipalities are doing the same with green electricity from Twence's solar farms. "This collaboration and role as launching customer provides the flywheel effect we need to become more sustainable."
Twence as a regional sustainability promoter
With the flywheel effect, Van Essen means, among other things, the expansion of green energy production. Siebelt: "Our ambition is to increase green gas production from 2025 onwards. One way we do this is by producing green gas from vegetable, fruit and garden waste. With this, we can connect more municipalities and take another step in the energy transition." Van Essen welcomes Twence as a regional sustainability promoter. "Each municipality has its own path to sustainability. Together with Twence, we are working on solutions that match the wishes of the shareholders. For example, green gas is a great solution for a municipality like Losser. For larger municipalities, a heat grid can be a solution. Ultimately, we want to produce and use energy in the region as much as possible. So that the resident benefits and sees that things are going green in Twente."