DISTRICT HEATING - the key to efficient, resource-saving green conversion
The green conversion of the district heating system in Copenhagen and the surrounding area has been underway for many years. Several players - as the district heating companies CTR, HOFOR, and VEKS - have driven the change in their supply areas.
By Lars Gullev, CEO at VEKS
I n this article, the primary focus will be on VEKS' develop- ment in the supply area from a production based on fossil fuels to green, sustainable heat production. Throughout its life, VEKS has saved resources and has thus constantly focused on reducing CO 2 emissions. Excess heat, cogeneration, waste heat, CO 2 -neutral district heating, climate-friendly heat - many concepts - but what characterizes VEKS' district heating?
Excess heat fromwaste incineration and cogeneration alone has resulted in an annual CO 2 reduction of approximately 500,000 tons compared to if the district heating companies had continued to use oil or natural gas for heating.
VEKS is a joint municipal partnership run as a non-profit company. VEKS comprises district heating production, transmission, and distribution in the western suburbs in the metropolitan area. Since its establishment in 1984, VEKS has had the primary purpose
Thus, fuel oil, coal, and natural gas, previously fueled in the local boilers, could be replaced by district heating from VEKS - a process in 1990. From 1990 to 2000, VEKS' efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions were, first, replacing fuel oil with light gas oil or natural gas at the central and reserve cargo power plants. Sec- ondly, VEKS' energy consultancy focused on lowering the re- turn temperature in the transmission network. A lower return temperature reduces heat loss and electricity consumption for pumping and ensures better efficiency at the Avedore power plant. Incidentally, 1990 is the year subsequently used as the reference year to calculate the CO 2 emissions from the district heating customers in VEKS' supply area. Sustainable biomass Block 2 of the Avedore Power Plant went into operation in 2001. The heat produced in the new block, based on natural gas and wood pellets, had a decisive influence on CO 2 emis- sions in the coming years.
of utilizing heat from the combined heat and power plants and surplus heat fromwaste incineration, larger industrial companies, etc. Cogeneration When VEKS "went into operation" on October 1, 1987, the purpose was to save resources. The together with the district heating company CTR, utilized the surplus heat from waste incineration and the large central combined heat and power plants - for VEKS, primarily the Avedore power plant. The first significant step was to connect the local district heating com- panies in VEKS' supply area to the transmission network.
When the Energy Agreement from 2012 legislatively opened, it was - for both Orsted and the owner of Avedore Power
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