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Fossil free campuses

The use of fossil fuels is being phased out because of the CO2 emissions they generate. At present, natural gas is used to heat water and the buildings. Because the UvA is discontinuing the use of fossil fuels, our electricity consumption is increasing. Consequently, we are maximising the sustainable energy generation on campus.

Objectives

We will stop using natural gas at the Science Park by as early as 2025 and on Roeterseiland by 2030. After the renovation work, we will use natural gas in the University Quarter only for peak load periods and will stop using it completely by 2040.

Current situation

In 2022, the UvA’s total gas consumption fell by 17% compared with 2021. This puts the UvA well on track to meet the targets set.

New heat pumps are improving the efficiency of the energy supply on the Roeterseiland campus. Gas consumption on the Roeterseiland campus was nearly 60% lower in 2022 than in 2021. Expectations are that Roeterseiland will be gas-free by 2025. This is five years earlier than was envisaged.

In 2022, gas consumption at the Amsterdam Science Park was 19% lower than in 2021. This was achieved in part by a more efficient hot water facilities in Building F and by connecting that building to the central Thermal Energy Storage system. Thermal Energy Storage (WKO) is the underground seasonal storage of water so that it can be used for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. We also aim to improve sustainability by fine-tuning air humidification in the labs at the Science Park. By humidifying air for laboratories only where this is essential and by using electricity to provide humidification, gas consumption could be below 50,000 m3 before 2025.

The majority of our natural gas is used in the University Quarter. A thermal energy plan in place here has paved the way for a natural gas-free future. As a first major step, the new University Library that is currently being built will have a thermal energy storage system. Significant reductions are possible for Oudeturfmarkt, Binnengasthuis 5 and Oudemanhuispoort in the relatively near future.

Status of envisaged measures

Read more about the measures in the White Paper on Sustainability (PDF, 19 pages).

Measures are described in the UvA’s Energy Transition Road Map (PDF, 20 pages). Basically, they amount to limiting energy demand, using low-temperature heating and high-temperature cooling and area-specific solutions where possible.

Major steps will be required to make buildings completely natural gas-free. Upcoming projects involving the replacement of gas systems are listed in the following overview.

Discontinuing the use of fossil fuels means an increase in the use of electricity. To offset that, we plan to generate our own sustainable energy on campus.