Avacon Tests Heat Recovery from Drinking Water

July 27, 2026

Source: E & M powernews

The energy provider Avacon has commissioned a pilot plant in Lüneburg to generate heat from drinking water. The project is intended to provide insights for the heat transition.

The energy provider Avacon has commissioned a pilotplant in Lüneburg to generate heatfrom drinkingwater. According to the Helmstedt-based company, the initiative is one of the first projects of its kind in Germany. It aims to investigate, under real-world operating conditions, whether the heat contained in drinking water can be safely and efficiently utilized for heating. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) is funding the three-year project.

Together with Lower Saxony’s Minister of Energy Christian Meyer (Greens) and Lüneburg’s Mayor Claudia Kalisch, Avacon CEO Matthias Boxberger officially commissioned the plant on July 24. According to the company, it is investing approximately 500,000 euros in the pilot project.

Drinking water remains clean

The system uses a portion of the drinking water, which is routed through a heat exchanger via a bypass. The heat exchanger extracts a small portion of the water’s thermal energy. A separate circuit transfers the energy to a heat pump, which raises it to the temperature required for heating and hot water. The drinking water then flows back into the supply network.

According to Avacon, the change in temperature is practically imperceptible to consumers. Closed loops, multi-stage safety mechanisms, and continuous monitoring are also designed to ensure that drinking water quality is not compromised.

Scientific Support Secured

The pilot plant will initially supply the water treatment plant with heat. At the same time, the project partners aim to collect data on technical feasibility, energy efficiency, and operational safety. The project is receiving scientific support from the IWW Institute for Water Research GmbH, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, and SWB Services GmbH.

According to Avacon, the technology could contribute to the heating transition in the long term. The company cites calculations indicating that approximately 7.3 billion kWh of heat could be harnessed annually nationwide if about one-third of the drinking water were cooled by four degrees Celsius. This would correspond to about 14 percent of the current district heating consumption by private households in Germany. For Lüneburg, Avacon sees the potential to cover up to 25 percent of the current heat demand of the central heating system.

Deriving a Basis for Legal Regulations

According to the company, current legislation in Germany does not yet permit the routine operation of such systems. Therefore, the results of the pilot project are also intended to provide a basis for potential adjustments to the regulatory framework. Avacon points to experiences from Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, where heat generation from drinking water is already being used on a large scale.

Avacon CEO Matthias Boxberger explained that the project aims to demonstrate how existing infrastructure can be additionally utilized for heat supply without compromising the quality of drinking water. If expectations are met, the technology could become another option for sustainable heat supply in cities and municipalities.

Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Christian Meyer described heat generation from drinking water as “an innovative approach to a climate-neutral energy supply.” Lüneburg Mayor Claudia Kalisch said she sees the pilot plant as an example of how existing resources can be used for a sustainable heat supply.

Author: Susanne Harmsen