While the harbor in the Port of Aarhus at 7.7 degrees does not exactly seem inviting to swim in, there is enough heat in the water for it to be able to heat thousands of households up.
AffaldVarme Aarhus set up a new system last year that can draw heat from the seawater. The water is drawn from 4-5 meters down in the harbor around Aarhus Ø and it provides heat, says engineer at AffaldVarme Aarhus Finn Olesen. -The higher the seawater temperature, the more we can supply, he says about the prospect of the summer months.
The plant is the first of its kind, and similar solutions may come from elsewhere in the country. It is in fact unique that the system does not use waste or coal for heating.
The potential is huge, because here in Denmark we are surrounded by sea, and we have lots of large ports in the big cities, where we need heat. So as soon as there are good experiences from Aarhus, we know that there are investment decisions on the way in Esbjerg and Aalborg, says Dansk Fjernvarme development manager Kim Behnke.