Germany energy provider builds 50 MW power-to-heat system

<p>German energy provider Enercity is constructing a 50 MW power-to-heat plant as part of its coal phase-out strategy and efforts to decarbonize district heating production. The project is also intended to help relieve pressure on electricity grids by absorbing surplus renewable power.</p>

<p>According to Enercity, the steadily increasing generation from wind and photovoltaic installations is “leading to periods of very low or negative electricity prices and placing growing pressure on the grids.” The company said it is therefore expanding its “ability to absorb such electricity surpluses in a targeted manner and make them available for heat supply.”</p>

<p>At the historic Herrenhausen power plant, located in Herrenhausen, a district in the northwest of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Enercity has operated a 20 MW thermal electrode boiler since 2020. The capacity of this unit is set to increase to 26 MW. Once completed, the new 50 MW facility will significantly increase the utility’s power-to-heat capacity.</p>

<p>The boilers can supply heat directly to Hanover’s district heating network or charge existing thermal storage systems. Enercity said the flexibility provided by the technology is “particularly important when large amounts of renewable energy are available in the grid or when heat demand is very high, for example on particularly cold winter days.”</p>

<p>The systems also contribute to security of supply in the district heating network, as they can be brought online at short notice during periods of high demand. “Power-to-heat is not designed for continuous operation, but is instead used specifically in situations where the energy system requires support,” Enercity said.</p>

<p>The existing Herrenhausen facility, for example, is used to quickly heat water in district heating storage tanks from 98 C to the winter supply temperature of up to 120 C. This allows stored heat to be used during peak demand periods, reducing the need to operate other generation assets and supporting more economical district heating production.</p>

<p>As part of Hanover’s district heating decarbonization strategy, Enercity plans to fully replace its second coal-fired unit by the end of 2027. The company expects that “a very large share” of district heating production will then be climate-neutral, using technologies including power-to-heat, large-scale heat pumps that extract ambient heat from river and wastewater treatment plant water, and expanded waste heat recovery.</p>

<p>Enercity also plans another power-to-heat facility with a capacity of 100 MW in the Rodenbruch district, near Hannover, according to the company.</p>
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