Energy - Heat transition: Many NRW cities are working on municipal plans
Half a year after the enactment of the Warming Planning Law, many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia began to draw up municipal heating plans. "We know of many communes that have gone beyond the starting point," said Christian Mildenberger, CEO of the North Rhine-Westphalian Energy and Climate Protection Agency, in response to an inquiry from the German Press Agency. "In some cases, they can build on preparatory work such as heating development plans."
The reason for the inquiry was the deadline set by the law, which expires on June 30, 2023, for cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants to submit a plan for the transition of heating supply to the use of renewable energies or unavoidable waste by 2045. Smaller municipalities have until the end of June 2028 for heating plans.
North Rhine-Westphalia's role in the energy transition is special: "We, as the most populous federal state, have a large number of urban agglomerations such as the Ruhr Area or the Rhineland," said the CEO of NRW.Energy4Climate. "In these densely populated areas, there is a high heating demand that must be met by sustainable and climate-friendly heating supply." On the other hand, this also presents opportunities: "A high heat density allows heating networks to be efficiently built or expanded." This could lead to large renewable heating potential being tapped, emphasized Mildenberger.
Mildenberger: Take action now
It is important now to gain momentum. "We want to be climate neutral by the year 2045, which means there are still 21 years left," Mildenberger said. This means that planning and construction projects must be carried out in phases. "This is a major challenge, especially against the backdrop that large infrastructure projects, such as the construction of district heating or low-temperature networks, take time." Building a large quarter with a climate-neutral energy concept, for example, can take more than ten years.
Another challenge is financing. "Significant investments, some of which are in long-term infrastructure, are necessary," Mildenberger continued.
Mildenberger: Involve citizens early on
The CEO of the Landesgesellschaft emphasized the need to involve all actors, such as energy suppliers, housing industry, craftsmen, building authorities, or companies that could provide waste heat for a low-temperature network. Citizens must also be informed and involved early on, as they will directly experience the effects of the climate-neutral conversion. "It is important that they know the opportunities that arise and how they, as residents, can profit directly, for example, from the construction of renewable energies, and participate," Mildenberger said.
Warm plans should provide direction for building owners and companies, as well as communes themselves and their utilities, when it comes to investment decisions regarding the expansion of a heating network or the purchase of a heating pump. "The warm planning should answer the question which heating supply option is particularly suitable in a specific area or sub-area," explains the Federal Ministry of Building and Urban Development.
Kamp-Lintfort is soon ready
In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are several pilot communities for the development of communal warm plans. They are the communities of Borken/Coesfeld (in tandem), Kamp-Lintfort, Cologne and Moenchengladbach, as well as the Siegen-Wittgenstein district. Kamp-Lintfort plans to adopt the final report on communal warm planning in the coming week in the council.
Competence Center Warm Shift NRW Communal Warm Planning Kamp-Lintfort
- Many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including the Rhineland region, have initiated municipal heating plans following the implementation of the Warming Planning Law six months ago.
- The German Press Agency sought insights on this matter from Christian Mildenberger, the CEO of the North Rhine-Westphalian Energy and Climate Protection Agency.
- Mildenberger highlighted that some municipalities have advanced beyond the initial stage, leveraging prior planning efforts such as heating development plans.
- Cities with over 100,000 inhabitants must submit plans by 2023, outlining the transition to renewable energy or waste heat for heating by 2045, under the Warming Planning Law.
- The Ruhr area and Rhineland, as densely populated regions in North Rhine-Westphalia, represent significant challenges and opportunities for tapping renewable heating potential through efficient network construction.
- To meet climate neutrality goals by 2045, Mildenberger emphasized the importance of initiating planning and construction projects in phases, involving citizens early on to ensure their direct benefits from renewable energy initiatives.
- Kamp-Lintfort, one of the pilot communities in North Rhine-Westphalia for communal warm planning, plans to adopt its final report on the matter in the coming week, marking an important milestone for heat planning in the region.
