MIJNWATER

What MIJNWATER does

Mijnwater B.V. is a Dutch sustainable energy utility founded in 2004 (operational since 2008) and headquartered in Heerlen, Netherlands, that operates Europe's first 5th-generation district heating and cooling network (5GDHC) in practice. The company leverages a geographically unique asset: former coal mine galleries in South Limburg that have been filled with naturally heated groundwater since the mines closed in 1994. Warm groundwater at 28-40°C is pumped from depths of 630-700m; cooler water from shallower strata is used for cooling. The system functions as a bidirectional smart grid where connected buildings can both consume and supply thermal energy, with mine galleries serving as underground thermal buffers for seasonal storage. The majority of delivered energy (approximately 60%) comes from inter-building heat exchange (e.g., data center waste heat to residential), while approximately 40% originates from mine galleries directly.

Mijnwater's customer base spans housing corporations (Wonen Zuid, Weller), commercial enterprises (IKEA Heerlen, Rabobank, APG, VDL Castings), government offices (Stadskantoor Heerlen, CBS, GGD Zuid-Limburg, SSC-ZL), educational institutions (Vista College, Arcus College, Xperience Parkstad), healthcare (Sevagram Douvenrade), and leisure venues (Poppodium De Nieuwe Nor, Zwembad Hoensbroek). Revenue is generated through a regulated subscription model combining fixed fees (vastrecht for connection, metering, and delivery set rental) with variable consumption tariffs measured in GJ for heat/cold and m³ for warm tap water, governed by ACM under the 'not-more-than-otherwise' principle that caps heat prices at the average cost of gas-heated households. Distribution is exclusively direct via proprietary pipeline infrastructure; there are no reseller channels, and customer connections are physically locked-in via dedicated exchange stations.

The company operates under two primary legal entities (Mijnwater Energy B.V. and Mijnwater Infra B.V.) with one wholly-owned operating subsidiary (Heerlerheide Energie B.V.). It is in active expansion mode: €120M was raised in 2023 from Enexis Holding N.V. (€80M) and the Province of Limburg via LEF (€40M), supplemented by European Just Transition Mechanism and Dutch national geothermal subsidies in 2025. The Masterplan targets expansion from Heerlen (Phase 1, operational) to Kerkrade-West (Phase 2) and Kerkrade-Centrum (Phase 3) by 2027. New infrastructure milestones include the Bron Ganzeweide heat source (commissioned July 2024) and the Terhoevenderweg heat source (under construction in 2026). The company's GTM is enterprise field sales targeting housing corporations, project developers, VvEs, and large commercial/institutional customers, with relationship-based B2B outreach backed by sector-specific website portals.

Name

MIJNWATER

Legal name

Mijnwater Energy B.V.

Website

https://mijnwater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mijnwater operates the Netherlands' first 5th-generation district heating and cooling network in Heerlen, using geothermal energy from former coal mine shafts to supply sustainable heat, cooling, and warm tap water to commercial buildings, housing corporations, and institutions across the Parkstad region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

District Heating and Cooling

NAICS

Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (221330)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

District Energy & CHP-Based Microgrids (Thermal Networks + Power) (EUACALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Microgrids & Shared Distributed Generation (EUACALAC)

Keywords

• District heating network
• District cooling network
• Geothermal energy supply
• Mine water energy
• Sustainable heating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Heerlen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Heat and Cold Supply to Connected Buildings: Mijnwater charges customers a combination of fixed fees (fixed rights / vastrecht for connection, metering, and delivery set rental) and variable consumption-based fees measured in gigajoules (GJ) for heat and cold, and cubic meters (m3) for warm tap water. Tariffs are set annually and are governed by the 'not-more-than-otherwise' principle (warmte mag gemiddeld niet duurder zijn dan aardgas), as regulated by the ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt). Revenue is recurring from connected residential, commercial, and institutional customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mijnwater operates a 5th-generation district heating and cooling (5GDHC) smart-grid network in South Limburg, Netherlands, supplying sustainable heating, cooling, and warm tap water to connected buildings. The system draws warm groundwater (30–40°C) from former coal mine galleries at depths of ~630–700 meters and cold water from shallower strata, enabling bidirectional heat/cold exchange between buildings. Customers connect to the network via dedicated exchange stations (cluster cellars) and pay fixed plus consumption-based fees.

Product overview

Mijnwater operates a 5th generation smart grid heat and cold network - the first in Europe in practice. The core product delivers sustainable heating, cooling, and warm tap water to buildings and homes in Parkstad (Heerlen, Kerkrade, Brunssum) using geothermal energy from former mine shafts. The system uniquely enables energy exchange between customers, where heat waste from one building (like a data center) becomes the heating source for another. The portfolio includes the core district heating/cooling network, customer connection infrastructure (geothermal heat sources, backbone pipelines), and digital services (Mijn Mijnwater customer portal). Advisory and implementation services are offered to sector clients including developers, housing corporations, VvEs, and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• District Heating Supply
• District Cooling Supply
• Warm Tap Water Supply

Quantifiable outcome

• IKEA Heerlen will save 1,512 MWh of gas per year and reduce CO2 emissions by 306 tonnes per year after switching to Mijnwater (from April 2026).
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IKEA HeerlencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026IKEA Heerlen agreed to switch fully to Mijnwater from April 2026, disconnecting from natural gas. IKEA describes Mijnwater as a 'local partner' solving net congestion challenges. IKEA's mainheat pipeline serves the entire retail park, enabling other businesses to connect.
• Ria Doedel (Director of Mijnwater)minorOthers · 4 July 2024Ria Doedel is the CEO/Director of Mijnwater B.V. and regularly participates in symbolic network inauguration events alongside provincial and municipal officials.
• SevagramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2023Sevagram (healthcare provider) signed a supply agreement with Mijnwater for the Douvenrade care center in Heerlen. The new facility is fully heated and cooled by Mijnwater, becoming completely gas-free. Sevagram also committed to Green Deal Duurzame Zorg (55% CO2 reduction by 2030, climate neutral by 2050).
• Visser & Smit HanabcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVisser & Smit Hanab is the main contractor executing the backbone (main pipeline) expansion work in Heerlen. They started work on 18 September 2023 on the expanded pipeline route from Dudoklaan via Beersdalweg to Rennemigstraat and Ganzeweide.
• Rotterdam Engineering and Adviesbureau Brouwers BVminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupporting engineering firms for the backbone expansion project. Mentioned as subcontractors alongside Visser & Smit Hanab in the infrastructure development work.
• D2Grids (Interreg-NWE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMijnwater's Brunssum circular energy system (216 homes) is part of the Interreg-North-West Europe (NWE) project D2Grids, which focuses on 5th-generation district heating and cooling networks across Northwest Europe.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE Solutions: Major European energy and district heating network operator (including cooling). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering district heating/cooling infrastructure solutions to municipalities and large customers across Europe.
• Dalkia: One of the largest district heating and cooling network operators in Europe (subsidiary of EDF). Comparable as an established multi-country district energy utility operating both heating and cooling networks with infrastructure-heavy business model.
• E.ON Heat Networks: Major European utility operating heat network businesses across Germany, the UK, and Eastern Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent in regulated district heating with similar long-life infrastructure assets and regulated tariff dynamics.
• Veolia Energie: Global district heating and urban energy services operator with significant European networks. Comparable as a broad incumbent in district energy delivery, including heat networks based on geothermal/waste-heat sources in multiple geographies.
• Wien Energie: Largest district heating operator in Vienna serving the metropolitan region with a mix of waste-heat and geothermal sources. Comparable as a European municipal-scale district heating utility that has been investing in low-temperature and geothermal-based heating.

Direct peers

• Vattenfall Warmte: Netherlands division of Vattenfall running large district heating networks including in Amsterdam and Eindhoven. Comparable as a direct district-heat competitor in the Dutch market, serving institutional and residential customers on regulated tariffs under ACM supervision.
• Eneco: Major Dutch energy utility operating district heating networks (Eneco Warmte) across multiple Dutch cities. Directly comparable to Mijnwater as a Dutch district heating operator selling heat (and increasingly cooling) to residential, commercial, and institutional customers on a regulated tariff basis.
• HOFOR: Copenhagen's municipal multi-utility operating one of Europe's most advanced 5GDHC (fifth-generation district heating and cooling) networks. Comparable as a reference 5GDHC operator running a bidirectional low-temperature thermal grid in an urban context.

Emerging players

• Eteck: Dutch specialist in geothermal and low-temperature heating for residential and small commercial customers. Comparable as a Dutch geothermal heating operator with similar technology and customer base (housing corporations, VvE, developers).

Regional players

• Stadsverwarming Purmerend (P暖气): Regional Dutch district heating operator serving Purmerend and surrounding areas. Comparable as a mid-sized Dutch district heating utility under ACM regulation, with similar customer mix of housing corporations and institutional buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mijnwater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mijnwater
• Xx.com/mijnwaterbv

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MIJNWATER