An EU-funded project – CELSIUS – is demonstrating efficient district heating and cooling systems for high density urban areas that make use of a broad range of sources of waste heat: from industrial centres, to heat extracted from a metro ventilation system or from sewage plants. District heating is a heating system consisting of heating plants and pipe networks that transport hot water to customers and back again to be reheated, connecting several customers in an area, or in a broader district. The districts can be connected to form a city heating network.
The project demonstrates ground-breaking applications for district heating and cooling in five cities: Cologne, Genoa, London, Gothenburg and Rotterdam, including innovative technologies for reusing waste heat. Currently, five new and 20 existing demonstrations, are up and running. In Cologne, innovative heat exchangers were installed in 2013 to recover heat from sewage. The technology supplies heat to six schools with a total heat demand of 4200 MWh per year.
In Rotterdam, the ‘Heat Hub’ was installed in 2014. It optimizes the current district heating network by using smart technology and forecasting.
A world-first demonstration project in Gothenburg involves the connection of a passenger ship in regular service to the city district heating grid. When in harbour, the Stena Danica ship uses the heat provided by the district heating instead of burning oil which allows a reduction of CO2 emissions by 62% per year and reduces noise in the harbor.
In Gothenburg another demonstration involves the use of district heating driven washers and driers. Instead of using electricity to heat up water to the required temperature for washing, the machines are connected to the district heating system delivering hot water.
Another unique demonstration, a system to recover waste heat from the London underground, is planned to be operational in 2016.
The project is committed to demonstrate cost-effective and energy efficient district energy systems in 50 cities and offers practical support for replication and further deployment of efficient district heating and cooling systems in our cities.
The total eligible cost of the project is €26 733 180, including €14 074 931 in EU funding.
Source: © European Union, 1995-2016