Energy - Vattenfall invests 200 million in district heating supply
The energy supplier Vattenfall plans to install an industrial heat pump and a new steam turbine at its Reuter West site in Berlin for around 200 million euros. The company announced on Friday that the systems will enable new sources of waste heat to be used to supply district heating to customers in the capital. For example, the pump can extract heat from the incineration process of sewage sludge as well as from lukewarm wastewater, which is produced when showering or bathing and ends up in the sewage treatment plants.
The electrically powered heat pumps use this residual heat, between 12 and 27 degrees Celsius depending on the time of year, raise it to a higher temperature level and feed it into Berlin's district heating network."Berlin traditionally has little industrial waste heat from production processes," said Christian Feuerherd, CEO of Vattenfall Wärme Berlin. "Using residual energy from purified wastewater for district heating is therefore a smart solution, especially as it is constantly available."
The large heat pump and the steam turbine are scheduled to go into operation in 2026. The pump has an average thermal output of 75 megawatts and can supply around 45,000 households with district heating. It will be connected to a new purification stage at the Ruhleben sewage treatment plant, which belongs to Berliner Wasserbetriebe. Around 50,000 tons of CO2 could be saved in this way.
Vattenfall is currently examining the sale of its Berlin district heating network with around 1.4 million connected residential units. The Swedish company is in exclusive negotiations with the Berlin state government, which would like to take over the network. "Subject to the approval of the Berlin House of Representatives, an agreement is being sought by the end of the year," the Senate announced at the end of October.
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Consumers in Berlin may benefit from Vattenfall's investment, as the new systems at the Reuter West site could provide an additional source of district heating. The Berlin Senate is currently in negotiations with Vattenfall to potentially acquire the company's district heating network in Berlin, which serves over 1.4 million residential units. With the reduction of CO2 emissions through this project, Berlin's consumers can contribute to climate-friendly energy consumption.
Source: www.stern.de
