International News
DANISH CITY AARHUS
ANNOUNCES NEW GEOTHERMAL DISTRICT HEATING PROJECT
This project will incorporate the development and operation of the European Unions ’ s largest geothermal heating plant to date .
The geothermal based heating company Innargi , established by AP Moller Holding , has entered a 30-year agreement with the city . By providing circular , constant baseload energy for district heating , Innargi offers a green and sustainable alternative to biomass , coal , and gas .
Buildings account for 13 % of all greenhouse gas emissions in the EU , equalling 432 million tonnes of greenhouse gases every year . With large-scale geothermal heating plants , it is possible to heat millions of homes with green energy , including when there is no wind or sun . When geothermal energy replaces hydrocarbonbased heating , an average household can reduce its CO₂ footprint by up to 6 tonnes per year .
“ It is critical to rethink our heating sources and bring geothermal into play when planning the future energy mix . We see a huge potential for geothermal based heating in many European cities that are struggling to phase out coal to meet the climate targets . We believe countries like Denmark , Germany and Poland offer the right subsurface conditions to significantly reduce the need for coal , gas and imported biomass . This announcement of the agreement is an important first step of our journey . We are very glad to see the strong support from the Danish government and Aarhus municipality , including the trust in our team and technology , to develop , what will become , EU ’ s biggest geothermal based plant .” said Samir Abboud , chief executive officer at Innargi .
Aarhus municipality has 330 000 citizens and 180 000 households . 95 % of the households are connected to the district heating system . The planned capacity of the geothermal heating plant in Aarhus is 110MW , equalling 20 % of Aarhus ’ district heating demand , and the annual CO₂ emissions are expected to be reduced by up to 165 000 tonnes . Subject to a successful appraisal process , the geothermal plant will be completed in 2029 with an expected operation of at least 30 years .
“ This is a historic day for district heating in Aarhus , and I am proud that we can continue to make the heat of the Aarhusians ever greener . Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source and thus an important step in our efforts to obtain much more renewable energy into the district heating . Geothermal energy is a prerequisite for us to be able to reach 2030 with the aim of
Innargi & AffaldVarme Aarhus flickr / User : Colin | creative commons
phasing out imported wood pellets ,” says Bjarne Munk Jensen , chief executive officer of AffaldVarme Aarhus .
Innargi will build and operate the 110MW geothermal plant . In 2025 , the plant may begin to supply heat to the people of Aarhus , and the plant is scheduled to be fully expanded by 2030 , when it will cover approx . 20 % of the district heating demand .
DENMARK IS AT THE FOREFRONT The expectation is that this project will inspire many large cities in Europe working on phasing out of coal and gas . That is also the ambition of AP Møller Holding .
Taken at the press meeting in mid-January 2022 . Representatives from Innargi , AffaldVarme Aarhus and the city of Aarhus discuss the value of geothermal energy of this scale being deployed .
This project will allow an average household to reduce its CO₂ footprint by up to 6 tonnes per year .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I March 2022 13