DecarbonDHS – Decarbonization of district heating systems

• Programme: Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021–2027
• Total budget: 1,770,635.18 €
• ERDF funding: 1,416,508.14 €
• Duration: 2024–2027
• Lead Partner: Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery Polish Academy of Sciences
• Consortium: 8 partners from Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark and Sweden
• Project website: https://decarbondhs.eu

OBJECTIVE

DecarbonDHS aims to promote the decarbonization of district heating systems and facilitate the transition towards sustainable and low-carbon solutions, by integrating renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, utilizing waste heat from industry and incorporating energy storage technologies.

The heating and cooling sector consumes about half of the EU’s energy, where 12% of heating is delivered by district heating systems. The latter are fuelled mainly using coal and natural gas. Effective substitution of fossil fuels for heating/cooling systems is needed in respect to strategic goals: decarbonization, climate mitigation and reducing the ecological footprint, as well as energy security – reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, including from hostile countries.

There are several key challenges in the field of district heating (DH), especially in large cities, that need to be considered: aging infrastructure, energy efficiency (heat losses, grid optimization and waste heat utilisation), integration of renewable energy, heat demand fluctuations, high initial (investment) costs, regulations and policy, decentralization and smart grids, heat prices and its affordability.

Addressing these challenges requires a combination of technological advancements, policy support, public awareness, and collaboration among stakeholders, including policy makers, city authorities, heat and energy providers, urban planners, researchers, and residents.

DecarbonDHS targets the following stakeholders: local communities, municipal administration and experts, local and regional authorities, local/regional and national policy makers, including ministries of the energy and environment and politicians, as well as environmental protection agencies and industry (heat/energy providing companies).

EXPECTED RESULTS

Results will include:
(1) Significant reduction in carbon emissions,
(2) Promotion of new energy technologies,
(3) Successful transfer of pilot projects demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of sustainable district heating solutions,
(4) Strengthened collaboration and capacity building, empowering municipalities to develop and implement sustainable DH plans.

PROJECT PARTNERS

The DecarbonDHS Consortium consists of 8 Partners and is coordinated by the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery PAS (IMP PAN)

1. Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery Polish Academy of Sciences (IMP PAN), PL (www.imp.gda.pl)
2. OPEC heat distribution company (OPEC), PL (https://opecgdy.com.pl)
3. IWEN Energy Institute (IWEN), DE (https://iwen-energy.org/en/index.html)
4. Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI), LT (https://www.lei.lt/en)
5. Bornholms Energy & Forsyning A/S (BEOF), DK (https://www.beof.dk/privat)
6. Kretinga District Heating Company (KDH), LT (https://www.kresiti.lt)
7. Kretinga District Municipality Administration (KM), LT (https://kretinga.lt/)
8. Linnaeus University, Växjö (LNU), SE (https://lnu.se/en)

ASSOCIATED PARTNERS

1. Energy Agency Southern Sweden, SE
2. Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, PL
3. Lessebo District Heating Company, SE
4. Stadtwerke Rostock AG, DE