Belgrade to become a champion of low-carbon district heating

UNEP is among bodies providing technical advice for the overhaul of Belgrade’s district heating system, with the aim of securing major efficiency gains.

A wide range of stakeholders – including the private sector and finance institutions – were consulted in Belgrade’s Hotel Metropol today on possible ways of rehabilitating and integrating renewables in the city’s district heating system.

The network is 86% powered by natural gas, but Belgrade is eager to explore other sources of energy, including possibilities of cogeneration.

“We are very happy that our determination to join the Global Initiative has brought concrete results,” said Ms. Stana Bozovic, State Secretary of Republic of Serbia, at today’s event.

UNEP’s Global District Energy in Cities Initiative, of which Belgrade is one of the first pilot cities, aims to drive a switch to low-carbon, energy efficient heating by developing, retrofitting or scaling-up district energy systems.

The Serbian capital will be provided with best practice guidance and support and be linked with other district energy champions such as Paris, Helsinki, Warsaw and Tokyo.

The District Energy Initiative is one of five accelerators of the SE4All Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform launched at the UN Climate Summit held in September 2014. The scheme aims to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements for heating and cooling in buildings by 2030 and quantify the corresponding decrease in GHGs.

The Initiative is funded by the Global Environment Fund and the Danish International Development Agency DANIDA.

Source: UNEP.org