Paper fuels district heating plans in Osnabrück

14.06.2024

Source: Energie & Management Powernews

Osnabrück's district heating plans are now also made of paper. A special paper manufacturer could supply up to 60 million kWh of waste heat per year for the municipal utility company's network

Paper can generate heat without going up in flames. Various players in a heating partnership in Osnabrück now want to prove this. The core of the emerging cooperation is to use the waste heat from a local paper manufacturer for heating in the city in Lower Saxony.

They are entering into Osnabrück's heating partnership: (from left) Kämmerer Managing Director Jürgen Oess, Energethik Managing Director Robert Wasser, Stadtwerke Board Member Daniel Waschow and SWO Netz Managing Director Tino Schmelzle

60 million kWh of waste heat is generated by paper manufacturer Kämmerer every year. Stadtwerke Osnabrück wants to divert as much of this as possible into its district heating network. The utility has now reached an agreement on this with a total of three other partners: in addition to Kämmerer, SWO Netz - the grid subsidiary of Stadtwerke - and Friedensenergie are also involved. The latter is a subsidiary of the Osnabrück-based engineering company Energethik, which specializes in the combination of renewable power plants and storage facilities.

In a joint press release, the parties say that they first want to explore the technical potential of district heating by means of a feasibility study. Kämmerer is a market leader in the field of special technical papers and wants to "finally put the resulting waste heat to use", according to Managing Director Jürgen Oess.

Friedensenergie is to ensure the heat supply for the project through storage and renewable heat generators. SWO Netz has the construction and operation of the lines on its agenda. Stadtwerke is responsible for sales.

The heating customers could be connected to the paper manufacturer via two local heating networks that Stadtwerke already maintains in the immediate vicinity. In addition to this waste heat supplier, Stadtwerke is also looking into how it can connect the Eversburg sewage treatment plant, which is within reach, to a heating network.

Author: Volker Stephan