Home News Aalborg Forsyning puts Denmark’s largest seawater heat pump out to tender

Aalborg Forsyning puts Denmark’s largest seawater heat pump out to tender

by Linda Bertelsen

Denmark’s giant seawater heat pump will play an essential role in Aalborg’s green transition. The plant has now been put out to tender, and when it goes into operation as planned in 2025, it must supply 25% of the district heating in Aalborg Forsyning’s supply area.

Aalborg Forsyning is planning the green heating solutions that will take over the coal-fired cogeneration plant, Nordjyllandsværket when it is shut down in 2028 at the latest. Now Aalborg Forsyning is putting a 100-125 MW seawater heat pump out to tender, which marks another milestone in the transition from coal-based district heating to climate-friendly and green district heating.

The seawater heat pump will be Denmark’s largest and is a central element in the future green district heating production in Aalborg Forsyning, where the plant will supply 25 percent of the district heating to the heat consumers.

“We are busy with an exciting green conversion at Aalborg Forsyning, where we are replacing coal with a new and climate-friendly district heating production. In addition to being green and flexible, it is also our goal that district heating should be economically advantageous for our heating customers. This means that we aim to be able to keep the heating price at the current level, even if we have to make some large investments to implement the green transition,” says Per Clausen, chairman of the board of Aalborg Forsyning.

Utilizes the heat from the Limfjord

The seawater heat pump will be located on the northern shore of the Limfjord at the Nordjyllandsværket. It is an ideal location according to Søren Gais Kjeldsen, CEO of Aalborg Forsyning:

“Here, the seawater heat pump will be close to the heat supply hub and the Limfjorden. It is precisely the energy from the water in the Limfjord that we will use in the future in the green heat supply. This is an efficient, flexible, and climate-friendly solution, where we transfer heat from the seawater to the district heating water via a heat pump,” says Søren Gais Kjeldsen, CEO of Aalborg Forsyning.

Today, Aalborg Forsyning uses the water from the Limfjord to cool the condensers at the coal-fired power plant. It is planned that the seawater heat pump will reuse the existing cooling water infrastructure on site.

Tender in two contracts

In connection with the preparation of the tender, Aalborg Forsyning has been in close dialogue with the market and potential suppliers of large seawater heat pumps.

“We have experienced great interest from national and international suppliers. Our dialogue with the market has shown that it is most appropriate to offer the seawater heat pump in two total contracts – a technical contract and a building contract,” says Søren Gais Kjeldsen.

The engineering contract is now being put out to tender, and it includes the heat pump itself and the delivery and establishment of all process equipment associated with the heat pump installation. According to the plan, the building contract will be put out to tender during April and includes all building and construction works related to the seawater heat pump.

The plan is for the seawater heat pump to be put into operation during 2025. In addition, Aalborg Forsyning plans to increase the use of surplus heat and establish more heat pumps, an electric boiler, and thermal storage.

Translated from the Danish District Heating Association