Germany and Denmark share experiences within sustainable heating

From the 6th to the 7th of June a German delegation with representatives from public authorities, agencies, companies and research visited Denmark to experience and discuss how surplus heat is being integrated into the heating network. On the first day, the delegation visited serval sites with surplus heat use close to Copenhagen. On the second day, 7th June, the delegation engaged in an open dialogue with Danish experts at the German-Danish Heating conference, supported by DBDH, DI Energy and EEN at State of Green.

The delegation visited CP Kelco (pectin factory) to learn about the public private partnership with the district heating transmission grid operator VEKS and Solrød Biogas as an example of efficient us of fuels and local resources. A visit to Copenhagen Markets with Høje Taastrup District Heating provided insights in their innovative heating and cooling system. The first day was completed with a dinner and open discussions thanks to the invitation of Ramboll. The delegation was welcomed by Markus Diederich, Country Director for Germany.

In the public debate, the heating sector is continuously gaining attention in Germany and especially in North Rhine-Westphalia. The before so-called “sleeping giant”, the heating market, needs to be decarbonised. North Rhine-Westphalia and Denmark share a close strategic partnership with the goal on sharing experience on sustainable future heating solutions since 2015.

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populated state with a high heat demand. At the same time it is one of the largest industrial sites in Europe with a high share of energy-intensive industry. This results in a potential of surplus heat from industrial processes.

The visit was organised as part of the Energy Governance Partnership Project. This is a project initiated by the Danish government to increase the collaboration, network and dialogue with Germany on heating and energy efficiency. The cooperation partners on the Danish side are the Danish Energy Agency and the Danish Embassy in Berlin. The project is supported by experts form State of Green, DBDH and DI Energy.