SWE and 50Hertz Sign Contract to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Heat Supply

SWE and 50Hertz Sign Contract to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Heat Supply

(IN BRIEF) Stadtwerke Erfurt (SWE) and Transmission System Operator 50Hertz have signed a contract to construct a 20 MW Power-to-Heat Technology (PtH) plant at the Erfurt-Ost gas and steam turbine power plant site. The PtH plant will use electricity from wind turbines to generate “green district heating” to reduce CO2 emissions resulting from supplying heat to buildings. When wind farms in north-eastern Germany generate excess electricity, the electricity will be diverted into an electrode boiler to heat water, which is then stored temporarily in a heat storage tank. The heat is transported to SWE’s private and corporate customers via the district heating system. The cooperation between SWE and 50Hertz is based on a regulation in the Energy Industry Act that expires at the end of 2023.

(PRESS RELEASE) ERFURT/BERLIN, 26-Apr-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — How can renewable energies be utilised to reduce the CO2 emissions that result from supplying heat to buildings? One option in cities with district heating is the Power-to-Heat Technology (PtH). In this process, electricity from wind turbines is used to generate “green district heating”. This applies predominantly at times when it cannot be transported via the electricity grids. A contract for the construction of such a PtH plant with a capacity of 20 megawatts (MW) has now been signed by Stadtwerke Erfurt (SWE) and the Transmission System Operator 50Hertz. The plant is to be built at the site of the gas and steam turbine power plant Erfurt-Ost by the end of this year.

Should the wind farms in north-eastern Germany generate a lot of electricity due to strong winds and this cannot be completely consumed locally or transported further, wind turbines have to be shut down to protect the power lines and substations from being overloaded. To avoid this, the electricity can be diverted into an electrode boiler, as is now being built in Erfurt. In it, water is heated electrically just like in a domestic electric kettle and then stored temporarily in a heat storage tank.

The heat is transported to SWE’s private and corporate customers via the regional 180-kilometre-long district heating system. While the electrode boiler is in operation, the gas-fired plant is not in use. This creates a twofold benefit: Renewable energies are better utilised and, in addition, the burning of fossil fuels is reduced. Karel Schweng, Managing Director of SWE Energie GmbH: “Power-to-heat is one of several generation strategies that Stadtwerke Erfurt will use for the transition to green district heating. It fits perfectly into our portfolio, and we look forward to working with 50Hertz so optimistically!”

The idea of ‘using instead of curtailing’ makes economic and ecological sense because it allows the potential of renewable energies to be better exploited,” explains Dr Dirk Biermann, Chief Markets and System Operations Officer (CMO) at 50Hertz. And he continues: “In Erfurt, the ninth PtH plant is being built by municipal utilities or other regional energy suppliers in cooperation with 50Hertz. In the near future, 50Hertz’s system control will have a total potential of around 200 MW at its disposal to alleviate grid bottlenecks and at the same time integrate electricity from wind power plants into the overall system. In the long term, a great deal more PtH capacity will be needed to make district heating systems climate-friendly. For this, however, the legislator must create the appropriate regulatory framework.”

The cooperation between SWE and 50Hertz is based on a regulation in the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) that expires at the end of 2023. According to this, transmission system operators can cover the costs for the construction of PtH plants if this eliminates grid bottlenecks cost-effectively and efficiently. This is the case in Erfurt, which is why 50Hertz is covers the investment in the plant of around eight million euros. 50Hertz has concluded further PtH cooperation agreements with district heating operators in Hamburg, Rostock, Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, Parchim and Halle. In Wedel near Hamburg, the largest plant with an output of 80 MW will soon go into operation.

Media Contact:

Volker Gustedt
Pressesprecher/Press Officer
Phone: +49 (0) 30 51 50 2878
Mail: volker.gustedt@50hertz.com

SOURCE: 50Hertz