In the fight against climate change, avoiding the greenhouse gas CO2 is the most important goal.
This is also the case with Stadtwerke Dorfen with its almost CO2-neutral thermal energy.
The biomass heating plant in Rinning was therefore expanded.
Dorfen
- It went into operation last year and the celebration took place on Tuesday. In addition, Stadtwerke managing director Klaus Steiner symbolically handed over the completed fiber optic network to Mayor Heinz Grundner. Not only Dorfen's city councilor and district administrator Martin Bayerstorfer were present at the celebrations, but also national political celebrities - everyone to whom the city owes that "the middle center of Dorfen is now taking on a pioneering role", said Grundner, who is also chairman of the municipal utilities' supervisory board. Because Dorfen no longer has any white spots, he was pleased.
Climate-friendly heat and energy generation and a good digital infrastructure are closely related, explained Steiner.
“In the Free State of Bavaria, 78 billion tons of CO2 were released last year, that's 60 tons per inhabitant.
We should be at zero by 2040. ”That is why an“ intelligent energy transition ”is required.
“A digital infrastructure is necessary in order to interconnect the many decentralized energy producers so that a reliable power supply works,” Steiner continues.
He also referred to the commuters who now work from home several times a week and “leave their diesel at home”.
The working people are dependent on fast internet.
"With our projects we keep our finger on the pulse," he explained, "we make a lasting contribution to good living conditions in the region".
457 kilometers of fiber optics have now been laid, and 700 properties in Dorfen are supplied with high-speed internet. The problem: Dorfen has an area of 100 square kilometers with a total of 200 districts. The broadband expansion in the "white spots" in the outside area has now been completed. The network remains the property of the city. "Every euro made available by the federal and state governments does not flow into the balance sheet of a global telecommunications company, but stays with us," said Grundner. A total of almost 8.5 million euros was invested in the digital network, 4.5 million euros came from the federal government, 1.8 million euros from the state - the city's own contribution amounted to 2.1 million euros.
"Those who do not digitize will be knocked out," said former Environment Minister Ulrike Scharf. The role of the city of Dorfen has an “absolute role model”, added MP Andreas Lenz. And District Administrator Bayerstorfer praised the “largest project” in the district, “both in terms of the amount and the construction volume”. In addition, Rinning is a “pioneering achievement” on the way to climate neutrality: “It takes courage to build, operate and expand such a heating plant,” says Bayerstorfer.
The biomass for Rinning II comes from the city forest and from the forests of the Nikolai Foundation. “This means that the municipal utilities leave an extremely low ecological footprint,” explained Grundner. The district heating pipeline system now supplies the old town of Dorfen, and it is growing steadily - just like the city of Dorfen. "The flood disaster has convinced the last skeptic how important the energy transition is."
At the end of the day, the Stadtwerke boss and his authorized signatory Sebastian Heiss invited the guests to visit the new biomass heating plant.
“We borrowed the Bavaria I for this,” said Steiner.
The simulated flight over the system showed the innovative technology that the municipal utilities have at their disposal, but also the creativity of the Dorfen energy supplier: "We don't need an advertising agency either - we do everything ourselves."
MICHAELE HESKE