Low-Grade Renewable and Waste Heat Mapping and Investment Planning for Efficient District Heating

Introduction

The HeatMineDH project aims to support DH utilities and municipalities in achieving the efficient DH targets along the next 10 years, building capacity upon the skills of a consortium made of universities, research centres, businesses, and associations. The project will devise 8 feasibility studies and practical investment plans for the integration of low-grade renewable and waste heat sources.

Analysis Steps

The analysis will be carried out according to 4 key steps:

1. Assessing the existing situation, based on the analysis of available data.
2. Mapping the availability of low-grade renewable and waste heat sources.
3. Planning an optimal roadmap for the integration of the most affordable sources able to ensure compliance with efficient DH targets.
4. Developing business models and draft contracts for the actual implementation of a 10-year-long investment plan.

Regulatory Considerations

The analysis will be carried out considering local, national, and European regulations and policies. The utility and the local municipality will be provided with a classification of the possible sources in accordance with European directives (EED and RES) as well as with the still evolving taxonomy regulation.

Stakeholder Interaction

The project will foster stakeholder interaction, promoting the organization of focused meetings based on previously shared information and facilitating negotiation. This will be crucial to prepare draft contracts and collect all the needed information to make utilities ready for tendering. Contacts with investors will be prepared, e.g., for project finance opportunities.

Networking and Dissemination

A network of cities and relevant stakeholders will be contacted to maximize the replication potential of the activities and to create a virtuous circuit of reciprocal support among utilities and municipalities. Dedicated workshops and dissemination activities will support this interaction, including specific training moments to showcase previous projects and best practice solutions.