immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Wärmeverbund

  • District heating from wastewater to decarbonise the municipality

    District heating from wastewater to decarbonise the municipality

    The energy company CKW, part of the Axpo Group, has been awarded the contract for the prequalification of the planned district heating network in Richterswil. With the district heating network, which is central to the municipality’s energy and climate concept, the energy company wants to launch a long-term partnership for decarbonisation, according to a press release.

    The energy network will mainly be operated using waste heat from the Richterswil wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Additional heat production for peak load and security coverage will be evaluated in the future. The aim is for commercial enterprises and residents to benefit from an economically attractive offer. “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract and are convinced that we can plan an economical and sustainable heat supply in Richterswil,” Angela Krainer, Head of Energy at CKW, is quoted as saying in the press release.

    In future, CKW will be responsible for the entire project planning of the heat network. The collaboration between the municipality and the company is to be concretised in the summer and the next project steps are to be taken in autumn 2025.

  • Generational change strengthens commitment to energy transition

    Generational change strengthens commitment to energy transition

    Reto Trittibach is the new owner and managing director of INES Energieplanung GmbH. According to a statement, André Joosten will be his deputy. With this new appointment, the Bern-based provider of energy supply solutions, founded 14 years ago, aims to maintain continuity.

    The aim of INES Energieplanung is to “support the energy transition with expertise and to the best of its ability”. Energy concepts for sites and district heating projects are developed. According to the company, INES contributes its expertise not only to the planning and construction of energy plants, but also to plant concepts. INES also acts as an energy consultant for the city of Bern.

    INES operates in the city and metropolitan area of Bern. Its main customers and cooperation partners include Marzili Wärmeverbund AG and the city of Bern.

    Founder Bruno Liesch shaped INES with a focus on sustainable energy solutions, heating networks and future-oriented energy planning. According to the announcement, he will continue to contribute his experience in project development on a part-time basis until the end of 2026.

  • New heating centre strengthens energy supply in Villmergen

    New heating centre strengthens energy supply in Villmergen

    After around two years of construction and CHF 15 million invested, the AEW heat network in Villmergen provides sustainable heat for local companies, as detailed in a press release. The heat network, which combines renewable heat from regional waste wood and wood from cascade utilisation with modern storage and control technology, strengthens regional supply security as part of the Energy Strategy 2050, according to the press release.

    At the centre of the heating centre is an efficient waste wood boiler with an output of 2,000 kilowatts. A further waste wood boiler, heat pumps and a peak load boiler are also planned, which will generate a total output of up to 10,000 kilowatts.

    A modern heat storage tank with a volume of 160,000 litres will ensure operational efficiency, while a photovoltaic system with an annual output of 220 megawatt hours (MWh) will produce sustainable electricity. 145 MWh of the electricity produced is used for the plant’s own consumption. Using power-to-heat technology, the system converts surplus electricity into heat and thus adapts to fluctuations in the energy system. This leads to particularly efficient energy utilisation, while at the same time supporting the stability of the power grid, explains AEW.

    Once completed, the heating centre will supply up to 14,500 MWh of heat per year and cover the needs of around 700 single-family homes. This will save around 710,000 cubic metres of natural gas and 1,500 tonnes of CO2 per year, explains Daniel Wernli, Head of Heat Production at AEW.

    From planning to construction and operation, AEW has deliberately commissioned companies from the region. The local population will also be involved: in spring 2026, AEW will organise an open day at the heating network and explain how sustainable heat is produced from regional wood.

  • Olten-Trimbach heating network starts after approval from the cantonal hospital

    Olten-Trimbach heating network starts after approval from the cantonal hospital

    Aare Energie AG(a.en) and IWB are tackling the realisation of a heating network in the Hagmatt border area between the Solothurn municipalities of Olten and Trimbach. The partner companies had made the realisation of the plans for extracting thermal energy from the groundwater dependent on the involvement of Olten Cantonal Hospital. This key customer has now agreed to participate, a.en and IWB announced in a joint press release.

    A.en and IWB intend to start construction work on the heating network as early as next year. Its network length is expected to be 6 kilometres. A new heating centre in the Dellen drinking water pumping station is named in the press release as the heart of the system. Two heat pumps, each with an output of around 2.5 megawatts, will extract heat from the groundwater here.

    According to the press release, the provision of heat from groundwater can also be guaranteed at low water temperatures in winter. The annual heat output of the plant is estimated at 20 gigawatt hours. Interested parties who have already requested an indicative offer should now receive concrete offers and be able to conclude contracts. The partners expect the first heat deliveries from 2027.

  • Bern-Wabern heating network promotes energy transition and CO2 reduction

    Bern-Wabern heating network promotes energy transition and CO2 reduction

    The energy company Energie Wasser Bern(ewb) and the municipality of Köniz want to make a contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and achieving the climate policy goals of Köniz and Bern with the Bern-Wabern energy network, according to a press release.

    The ewb Board of Directors decided to build the Bern-Wabern heating network on March 7, 2025, based on the “great interest” of the population as determined by a survey. Construction of the production facilities is scheduled to start in 2027. The first heat supply is expected from 2028.

    Specifically, the heat production concept envisages using the energy from surplus water from the Schönau pumping station for thermal use. The production facilities will be installed in the existing heating center of the Morillon residential complex on Bondelistrasse.

    With the cooperation agreement that has now been signed, the heating and cooling supply in Wabern will be the responsibility of ewb, which is also responsible for the operational and financial responsibility for the construction.

    The heating network could help to promote the energy transition and climate protection. The sustainable energy project will create a replacement for many oil and gas heating systems in Wabern and the neighboring districts of Bern. “In densely built-up areas, a heating network is often the only solution for heating buildings with renewable energy in a CO2-free and economical way,” says Hansueli Pestalozzi, a local councillor in Köniz.

  • Expansion of the district heating network in Kaiseraugst for a better heat supply

    Expansion of the district heating network in Kaiseraugst for a better heat supply

    AEW Energie AG is opening up its heating network in Kaiseraugst to new customers. According to a press release, it will begin construction work on two branch lines of the “Ast Dorf” project on 4 November.

    These two branch lines are located at Lindenweg 11 and 13 and between Dorfstrasse, at property no. 36 and Heidemurweg. According to a press release, the work is expected to be completed by Christmas.

    Work on the main district heating line and the other sections along Dorfstrasse and Lindenweg will begin in January 2025. After deducting the municipality’s contribution to the costs, AEW is investing a total of around 3.2 million in the expansion of the Kaiseraugst district heating network.

    The Kaiseraugst heating network has been in operation since October 2021. It is one of the largest in the canton of Aargau. in 2023, additional customers were connected in the industrial area, in the south-east and with the branch to the Rinau retirement home. The large-scale project, which took over four years to build, currently supplies over 1,500 households and numerous industrial and commercial customers with heat from at least 80 per cent renewable energy.

  • New energy supplier for Uettligen

    New energy supplier for Uettligen

    CKW has taken over the Uettligen heating network with effect from 27 August 2024. According to a press release, the energy supplier from Central Switzerland, which is part of the Axpo Group, intends to expand its decarbonisation strategy. The plants of the heating network north of Bern will continue to be maintained on behalf of CKW by the previous operator and main shareholder a energie AG from Schüpfen BE. Due to an adjustment in a energie’s strategy and the pending further expansion of the heating network, a buyer for the heating network was reportedly being actively sought.

    The acquisition of the Uettligen heating network joins the existing CKW portfolio of district heating networks such as Schüpfheim LU and Meggen LU. According to the press release, CKW will focus on modernising the plants and expanding the district heating network.

    “CKW is looking forward to the collaboration and is proud to be able to continue and further develop the well-functioning Uettligen district heating network,” said Rafael Mesey, Head of New Energies at CKW. “With CKW AG, we will have a reliable and strong partner for our customers in the heating network in the future,” adds Christian Cappis, the outgoing Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Uettligen heating network.

  • Energie Wasser Bern plans to expand the heating networks in Köniz

    Energie Wasser Bern plans to expand the heating networks in Köniz

    Energie Wasser Bern is planning to expand its existing network of heating networks in the municipality of Köniz. The two new thermal networks in the Köniz districts of Niederwangen and Wabern near Bern will also supply parts of the city of Bern with climate-friendly heat. The conditions for realisation are currently being examined. A final decision on realisation is expected to be made next year, ewb announced in a press release.

    The new Niederwangen heating network will be supplied by the existing ewb Forsthaus and Rehhag energy centres in Bern. Independent heat generation using energy from surplus water is planned for the Bern-Wabern heating network. The expansion of the climate-friendly heat supply supports the plans of the city of Bern and the municipality of Köniz to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045 at the latest.

    The Bernese energy supplier is assuming operational and financial responsibility for the project. The municipality of Köniz is supporting the project by creating the best possible conditions. In particular, the municipal administration is responsible for coordinating construction and spatial planning activities and informing the residents of Köniz. A corresponding cooperation agreement is to be signed at the end of this year.

  • AEW builds heating network in Villmergen industrial estate

    AEW builds heating network in Villmergen industrial estate

    AEW Energie AG has announced its intention to become more efficient in the expansion of renewable thermal energy and is establishing a heating network in the Villmerger industrial area at a cost of CHF 12 million. According to a press release, the municipality granted permission for the building application submitted in April. Construction work is to start in the 4th quarter of the current year. The date for the first delivery of renewable district heating to about 550 single-family homes is set for the 2024/2025 heating period.

    David Gautschi, Head of Production at AEW, has announced that the total heat will save 710,000 cubic metres of natural gas annually, which would cause 1500 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

    According to the information, the heat network uses waste wood as fuel, wood from the region as needed according to ecological cascade use, and solar energy with the help of a photovoltaic system with a peak output of 200 kilowatts.

    The supply unit is to be built between the Bünztalstrasse in the south-west, the municipal boundary in the south-east, the railway line in the north-east and the agricultural zone in the north-west. The heating centre will be built on the Cellpack AG site on Durisolstrasse. The fuels will be supplied via Anglikerstrasse and the Cellpack AG site.

    With this project, the Aargau electricity supplier wants to make a contribution to the Energy Strategy 2050.

  • Spreitenbach expands Neumatt heating network

    Spreitenbach expands Neumatt heating network

    The local citizens’ municipality of Spreitenbach has awarded the contract for the installation of the second boiler for the Neumatt woodchip heating system. According to a media release, the work has started successfully. In the future, additional district heating pipes will be laid for the connection of private properties, which will lead to road breakages and may cause partial traffic obstructions, the statement said. The additional credit of 3 million Swiss francs for the realisation of the second furnace line was approved by the local citizens’ assembly on 22 November 2022.

    The first stage of the Neumatt heating network was realised by Amstutz Holzenergie AG as overall planner and construction manager. The new heating centre in Spreitenbach is centrally located on the communal utility yard next to the Shoppi Tivoli shopping centre. The elongated post-and-beam building offers space for two woodchip boilers with an output of 550 and 1600 kilowatts, according to a statement by the company from Emmen LU. The large technical room contains two buffer storage tanks with a total volume of 57 cubic metres, which cover short-term peak loads and enable continuous operation of the combustion plant.

    The long-distance network was 380 metres long in the first expansion stage. The woodchip heating system has been supplying heat since the beginning of October 2022 and heats the buildings in the vicinity that are already connected, such as the Werkhof itself as well as the Im Brühl retirement home and the new Spreitenbach community centre.

    According to Amstutz Holzenergie, 1800 cubic metres of wood chips from the local forest are needed annually for the heating system. After the complete final expansion, the annual demand will rise to 5400 cubic metres of woodchips. This quantity is also to be covered by wood from the local forests.

  • Alliances to supply 45 per cent of the heat in Winterthur

    Alliances to supply 45 per cent of the heat in Winterthur

    The city of Winterthur can cover 45 per cent of the city’s heating needs with public heating networks. Energy from the municipal utility’s waste incineration plant could cover 33 per cent of the city’s heating needs, the city writes in a statement. Wood, biogas and waste heat utilisation could provide another 10 per cent. The new Schützenwiese energy centre could cover another 2 per cent by using groundwater heat.

    About two-thirds of the necessary municipal heating networks have already been realised. Further investments are needed for the remaining third. For example, the electorate must approve the building loan for the replacement of incineration line 2 of the waste incineration plant. From 2028, this line will generate waste heat energy from the flue gas purification plant. In addition, around 300 million Swiss francs must be invested in the expansion of the city’s heating networks. For this purpose, a credit bill is to be prepared by the end of 2024, which will also be voted on by the electorate. These heating networks are to supply areas with high energy density with heat.

    The city council estimates that around 55 per cent of the city’s heating needs will have to be covered by private solutions. Another study will examine how areas with lower energy density can be developed economically and ecologically.

  • AEW installs district heating at Mutschellen

    AEW installs district heating at Mutschellen

    The Aargau energy supplier AEW Energie has plans to build a heating centre for the Mutschellen area on the Sika factory site in Widen, according to a media release. Private and municipal consumers in the heating network around the Mutschellen Pass are to be supplied with sustainable energy via a district heating network. The communities of Widen, Berikon AG and Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg AG are connected.

    The local heating concept envisages predominantly regionally grown wood to generate the heat. The installation of modern, low-emission plant technology is intended to prevent the formation of a steam plume.

    Letters of intent have been signed with Sika Schweiz AG, the Turidomus investment foundation and other owners. The interest of the population in a district heating solution is being ascertained by means of a survey.

  • Second heating network for Steinhausen can be financed

    Second heating network for Steinhausen can be financed

    The construction and operation of a second heating network for the Steinhausen community are economically feasible. This is confirmed by a feasibility study that WWZ Energie and the municipality began a year ago. According to a media release by both actors, their results will be presented to the population on October 20th at 7.30 p.m. in the Steinhausen community hall.

    They show that in large parts of the municipality the prerequisites in terms of energy density and demand for the construction and economic operation of a second and larger network are in place. This is to be operated with regional wood as an energy source.

    The Steinhausen Zentrum heating network has been in operation since 2017. The new network could be linked to this in the medium term as well as to the Ennetsee heating network planned by WWZ. This increases the security of supply and allows efficient dimensioning of the heating center.

    "The heating network, as we are planning it with WWZ, makes a significant contribution to the implementation of the Energy Strategy 2050," said Mayor Hans Staub. In addition, it increases “the attractiveness and quality of life in our community”.