19.04.2024
Source: Energie & Management Powernews
N-Ergie AG presented its far-reaching district heating plans at its corporate headquarters together with the City of Nuremberg.
Mayor Marcus König (CSU) said he was "grateful that we have the plants. Municipalities without suppliers have to manage the heating transition on their own. But here you can see that energy and heat belong together." And together they want to "cover 50 percent of heating requirements with district heating by 2040", both for households and industry.
The heating transition is a central building block on the path to climate neutrality, to which the city has committed itself. "The environment and health, construction and infrastructure must be considered together", said the politician. That is why the city council will decide on municipal heating planning for Nuremberg as early as the first quarter of 2025 - "hand in hand with N-Ergie", he promised.
However, district heating pipes cannot be laid everywhere: In sparsely built-up and populated areas, this would not be practically or economically possible. "But in densely built-up areas, district heating is the optimal type of heating and the ideal solution. People should know as soon as possible what is happening where," said the city boss, citing the reason why Nuremberg will present the path to becoming a climate-neutral city just two years after the relevant federal legislation is passed.
However, N-Ergie is not waiting until the municipal heating plan is presented - it has already decided to press ahead with the expansion of district heating in three areas: The two existing residential areas east of Friedrich-Ebert-Platz (117 buildings with around 900 residential units) and south of Meuschelstraße (67 buildings with around 500 residential units) are located in the north of the old town, which is already largely connected to district heating. The Nordostpark industrial and commercial area with 64 buildings is also due for district heating expansion, specifically in 2025 and 2026. 25 million euros have been budgeted for this alone.
Maik Render, spokesman for the N-Ergie Management Board, promised "a flat-rate connection cost contribution of around 10,000 euros" and that the Group would "actively promote this".
District heating a solution, especially for listed buildings
Environmental officer Britta Walthelm (Greens) made it clear that the city and the utility company were not always pulling in the same direction in the past. "When I took office after the last local elections, I found a heating plan from 2011 in the drawer." Although the city is already emitting 40 percent less CO2 than in 1990, this is mainly thanks to more renewable electricity and the conversion of the combined heat and power plant from coal to gas. "Now, however, everyone is also aiming in the same direction when it comes to heat. Heat alone is responsible for 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and over half of the energy goes into this area," said Walthelm, quoting figures. This is why "district heating is a major lever" on the way to climate neutrality, which the Free State of Bavaria is aiming for by 2040.
Daniel Ulrich, non-party planning and building officer for the City of Nuremberg, was somewhat more cautious: "Climate neutrality bit by bit by 2045, that is the legal requirement," he explained. That's why "no building owner needs to panic, but rather think sensibly" about how heating should be provided in the future. However, "district heating can offer a solution, especially for buildings with listed status: This is where the Building Energy Act GEG helps, which no longer demands insulation at any price," said Ulrich.
The planning and building officer also addressed the fact that the aim is no longer to generate heat mainly in the now "H2-ready" Sandreuth combined heat and power plant, as was previously the case: "It's also about external sources, waste heat from industry, for example." For this reason, the company is now investigating where and how much heat is consumed, naturally taking into account the protection of historical monuments.
Great demand for district heating connections
"Ultimately, we want to be able to tell people that where there is no district heating, geothermal energy or biomass heating is possible, for example." The residential areas built in the 1960s in particular are "the main task for the experts." But they are already saying "at every citizens' meeting: don't panic. But if you want to install a gas heating system now, we strongly advise against it."
In any case, N-Ergie has already noticed a sharp increase in demand for district heating connections. Board member Magdalena Weigel: "We are literally being overrun. Before the energy crisis, we had 200 inquiries a year, in 2022 it was already 500 and in 2023 even 1,500." The company also notes: "Those who are connected have hardly any complaints."
Author: Heinz Wraneschitz
Accessibility
Language
