• February 5, 2026

Preserving the Fochteloërveen: Innovative and Low-Emission Dam Restoration

In order to preserve the Fochteloërveen for the future, it is essential to prevent desiccation by improving water management and restoring dams. The dams help retain valuable rainwater, preventing it from leaking away and thus protecting the raised bog from drying out. By repairing the old dams with sand and loam, rainwater is retained. The first phase of the large-scale dam restoration project started in the autumn of 2022. Natuurmonumenten, together with the contractor consortium 'Groene Kade', devised a new innovative method of sand transport to minimize nitrogen and CO2 emissions. This approach for the work on the LIFE-project site (the central area of the Fochteloërveen) was officially introduced at a special opening event on December 12th, 2024.

The most important innovation is the transport of sand and loam across the Fochteloërveen using an electrically powered conveyor belt. Over the past and coming years, we will transport a volume equivalent to 20,000 truckloads of sand and loam over a distance of more than two kilometers with this electric belt. The sand transport from the extraction site to the depot was already done by means of an electrically driven pump and a specially constructed pipeline. Now, the transport of sand and loam within the nature reserve itself is also fully electric. In the central part of this Natura 2000 area, sand and loam end up in a bunker, from where it is transported by hydrogen-powered tractors to the specific dam being restored. The trucks currently still run on diesel, as a more sustainable alternative was lacking until recently. However, in the very near future, these will be replaced by electric models; an innovation boost that has been partly driven by the ambition of this project. A calculation of the transport movements saved in this way amounts to at least 80,000 truck kilometres. 

To the best of our knowledge, a project of this scale involving these volumes of earthmoving (at least 400,000 m³) and including such low emissions within nature restoration, has never been carried out before. The 'Groene Kade' partnership, consisting of the companies Avitec, Oenema Groep, Gebroeders Kok, and Natuurmonumenten, is very proud of the initial project results achieved so far. These local contractors have had their machinery and transport equipment specially adapted and built. For them, this is a significant step towards low-emission work – a challenge that, given the ongoing energy transition and nitrogen issues, paves the way for a low-emission future. After completion of the dam restoration in Fochteloërveen, most of the machines and conveyor belts will be reused on other projects.

Through this approach, we aim to achieve an emission reduction of at least 85% compared to the traditional implementation method. The work is carried out under ecological supervision, and no work is carried out during the breeding season. To avoid blocking cycling and pedestrian traffic on the Bonghaar, a sea container has been placed that allows for passage. The conveyor belt has been placed over this container. In this way, visitors to the nature reserve will experience as little inconvenience as possible from the work in the coming years.