NDSM‑Werf in Amsterdam Noord, once a major shipyard, now hosts a vibrant mix of creative industry and businesses—but remains heavily dependent on external energy. With the city of Amsterdam consuming half of Noord‑Holland’s electricity yet generating little locally, there was a clear need to transition this site toward energy autonomy and sustainability. NDSM Energie was formed to address these challenges by harnessing renewable sources and empowering local stakeholders.

Fronteer, among the co‑initiators, helped set up NDSM Energie in 2013 as a co‑operative of local businesses committed to generating energy themselves. The approach built coalitions across entrepreneurs—such as Fiction Factory, FEBO, Tony’s Chocolonely, HEMA, and others—to jointly invest in wind and solar initiatives. Projects include developing a wind park at Noorder IJ‑plas, deploying large scale rooftop solar panels, and promoting local participation via wind‑certificates, turning energy investment into shared ownership.

NDSM Energie has emerged as a pioneer in community‑led renewable energy, achieving tangible milestones and a movement‑building model. It successfully ran a wind campaign, demonstrating how businesses can co‑finance local energy infrastructure. aimed to make the NDSM‑Werf the most sustainable business park in the Netherlands. It is one of the key cooperatives in the Amsterdam area, and unique because of its 50 members – all businesses aiming to do better.