How can you tell if aquathermal energy could work for your home, neighbourhood or city?
This was the central question of a recent webinar, held on 30 October 2025, which introduced the WaterWarmth Quickscan tool – a practical way to assess the local feasibility of aquathermal energy.
The webinar, moderated by Martina Battocchio, EU Projects Officer at EHPA, featured presentations from Lenn Coussement of the engineering consulting firm EXTRAQT and Michiel Fremouw of Delft University of Technology.
Together, they explored how aquathermal systems can play a key role in Europe’s energy transition and presented the WaterWarmth Quickscan as a first step for identifying suitable sites and conditions for aquathermal energy use.
The WaterWarmth EU-funded project itself aims to accelerate the shift towards clean heating and cooling based on collective surface-water heat pump systems.
With 18 partners across Europe’s North Sea region, the project focuses on demonstrating the potential of aquathermal systems through small and large-scale pilot sites, developing methodologies for system integration, assessing market potential, and improving insights into the governance of collective energy systems.
In Belgium, the project has developed demo sites in two castles — the 14th-century Merode stately home in Westerlo and the Annevoie castle near Namur — where heat pumps recovering heat from nearby river waters have replaced gas heating. At Merode Castle, CO₂ emissions have dropped by 50%, as our heat pump stories show.
The Quickscan tool allows users to evaluate the potential of aquathermal energy in their area by answering a short set of questions on local energy demand, nearby water bodies, available infrastructure and possible restrictions. In a few minutes, it provides an initial overview of whether aquathermal energy could be a viable option and guides users towards further pre-feasibility or full feasibility studies.
The webinar also presented a live demonstration of the tool, showing how it translates project data into a clear visual output that indicates whether aquathermy could be a promising solution. Designed to be intuitive and accessible, the Quickscan can be used by municipalities, planners and developers without prior technical expertise.
The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, where participants discussed the next steps for testing and improving the tool, and how aquathermal systems can be integrated into local and regional planning.
Interested in trying it yourself? Check the WaterWarmth Quickscan here.
For more information on this project, reach out to Martina Battocchio, EU Projects Officer at martina.battocchio@ehpa.org
