Making Laurentius Hospital more sustainable

The pressure and the opportunity to decarbonise 

According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the healthcare sector is responsible for around 7% of national CO₂ emissions. The Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare 3.0 sets a target for the sector to cut emissions by 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels and to be climate neutral by 2050. 

For hospitals, this is a significant challenge. They operate 24/7, patient safety can never be compromised, and energy demand is high. At the same time, this complexity creates real opportunities to decarbonise in a smarter, more efficient way. 

Laurentius Hospital in Roermond is an inspiring example. Together with Haskoning, the hospital took the step from ambition to concrete results in four years: potential 80% savings on natural gas, greater control over energy security and a future-proof building. Not only because it had to, but because the urgency and the internal drive within Laurentius were strong. 
 
With a combination of intrinsic motivation, in- house technical knowledge and the need to decarbonise before 2030, the hospital started a programme with Haskoning. “Our heating system needed renewal, energy prices were rising, and we wanted to be prepared for the future,” says Frank Tijsen, Technical Team Lead at Laurentius Hospital. “A lot came together: the Green Deal, our accommodation plan, and the natural replacement moment for our installations. That made it the perfect time.”

A strong start in Roermond 

In 2021, Haskoning developed a CO₂ roadmap for the hospital. Mark Overdijk, Energy Consultant at Haskoning, explains: “A CO₂ roadmap connects the strategic, tactical and operational layers of a hospital. The strategic real estate plan forms the foundation: which buildings will be retained, refurbished, replaced or newly built? The multiyear maintenance plan (MYMP) provides the necessary tactical-level input on which replacements or maintenance activities can be combined with decarbonisation. And the technicians on the work floor ultimately form the indispensable link when it comes to understanding the installations and the steps already taken to save energy. Using our roadmap model, we can analyse energy consumption and calculate savings measures. In consultation with the hospital, this ultimately resulted in one clear preferred route. 

The roadmap not only identified opportunities, it also helped build internal support. Frank explains: “At first, there were doubts: what will it cost, do we really need to invest already? But when the energy crisis hit, we saw our choices were perfectly timed. We could demonstrate that gas consumption had already fallen significantly due to the optimisations we had implemented. That gave confidence when we presented the roadmap to our Board.”

From plan to practice: the energy masterplan 

A year later came the energy masterplan, translating strategy into implementation. It set priorities and detailed key technical decisions. Mark explains: “The old combined heat and power (CHP) system needed to be replaced by a heat pump and an aquifer thermal energy storage system (ATES). To run the heat pump as efficiently as possible, the flow temperature of the heating circuit needs to be as low as possible. Fortunately, Frank and his team had already gained experience during the roadmap phase by gradually reducing this temperature step by step. That meant we knew the building could be heated with a flow temperature of only 50°C.” 

Frank adds: “That step potentially takes us towards about an 80% reduction in natural gas. With the installation of a new medium voltage switchboard, we upgraded our electricity connection to 6 MW to prepare for further electrification. That is crucial, the further you move away from gas, the more you depend on electricity.” 

Learning by doing 

Decarbonising a hospital is complex. Theory and practice constantly challenge each other. Laurentius adopted a learning by doing approach: measure, test and adjust. What sometimes looked impossible on paper often proved feasible in practice. 

Thanks to their technical expertise, the team dared to experiment with its installations, including lowering heating flow temperatures and reducing steam humidification. That courage delivered valuable results. “Based on the energy masterplan, we were able to work with our engineers to move directly to a final design” says Mark. “This saved a lot of time, and we were able to complete the design and put the work out to tender within six months.” 

More than just energy savings 

The benefits go beyond the energy bill. By switching systems, Laurentius is less dependent on fossil fuels and more resilient to grid congestion. “Our new energy centre and emergency generator set us up for the next fifteen years,” says Frank. “Next year we want to have saved over a million cubic metres of natural gas. I’m confident we’ll achieve it.” 

If achieved, Laurentius will have reduced its direct CO₂ emissions by 80%, well above the 55% target for 2030. 

Looking ahead 

Four years on, Laurentius is not finished, but it is already a strong example of what is possible. In 2026 the new heat pump and ATES system will be closely monitored and optimised to deliver the forecast savings. The final step towards a fully gas free hospital is phasing out the steam boilers, and the team is already actively experimenting with solutions. 

This could enable Laurentius to become gas free around 2030, with energy use below 200 kWh/m².

At Haskoning, we are also looking ahead. What works here can work elsewhere. With our experience in CO₂ roadmaps and energy masterplans for healthcare, we support hospitals across the Netherlands to move from plan to delivery. Want to understand how your hospital can reduce CO₂ emissions while becoming future proof? Get in touch. Together we will map your route to 2050 and help deliver it.