To advance CO2-neutral heat supply, Stadtwerke Buxtehude GmbH and enercity Contracting Nord GmbH, or enercity contracting for short, have signed the partnership agreement for the new project company Buxtehuder StadtWärme GmbH. This joint venture is primarily intended for the development of a heat network in the Buxtehude North-West area. Both partners hold equal shares, i.e. 50 per cent each, in the newly founded company. The establishment was subject to the necessary approval of the German Federal Cartel Office.
Mr Marco Lunden from Stadtwerke Buxtehude GmbH and Mr Sascha Brandt from enercity contracting have been appointed as managing directors of Buxtehuder StadtWärme GmbH. Their task will be to take responsibility for the further development of the entire project. Buxtehuder StadtWärme GmbH will be responsible for the planning, financing, construction and subsequent operation of the planned heat supply.
Concept and capacity of the heat supply
The proposed supply concept includes the use of large-scale heat pumps. These are primarily intended to utilise heat from wastewater and ambient air. To ensure year-round supply, additional generation plants operated with biomethane are also planned. With this project, the partners intend to create the conditions for a future intensified heat supply via pipeline systems, whereby local heat sources are to be significantly integrated.
For the initially planned expansion stage, a heating plant with a total generation capacity of 18 megawatts has been projected. This capacity computationally corresponds to the heating requirements of approximately 3,600 apartments in multi-family buildings with average insulation. Mr Lunden, one of the managing directors of Buxtehuder StadtWärme GmbH, emphasised that the heat transition happens locally and requires reliable partnerships and technically and economically viable concepts for municipalities. The joint company forms the necessary basis for this.
Cooperation and outlook
The formation of the company builds on an existing collaboration between the two enterprises. In recent years, the foundations for further project development have been laid, including feasibility studies and the preparation of subsequent planning steps. Mr Brandt, also a managing director of the company, highlighted that heat networks would play an important role in many towns and municipalities. The joint company bundles the local knowledge of Stadtwerke Buxtehude with the expertise of enercity contracting in the development and implementation of heat projects.
The new company will drive forward further project development, pre-marketing of the heat supply, approval planning, and the preparation of financing.
