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Schongau district heating is "better than solar and wind energy"

2022-01-12T15:17:18.887Z


Schongau district heating is "better than solar and wind energy" Created: 01/12/2022, 4:00 PM From: Elke Robert The district heating pipes for the people of Schongau are routed from UPM over its own bridge over the Lech. © Herold 1000 households in Schongau are supplied with district heating - UPM and the city have been working hand in hand for years. The heat used to dry the paper is used. Ho


Schongau district heating is "better than solar and wind energy"

Created: 01/12/2022, 4:00 PM

From: Elke Robert

The district heating pipes for the people of Schongau are routed from UPM over its own bridge over the Lech.

© Herold

1000 households in Schongau are supplied with district heating - UPM and the city have been working hand in hand for years.

The heat used to dry the paper is used.

How does district heating work?

How environmentally friendly is the energy?

And can the network be expanded further?

Schongau

- The Schongau district heating supply is getting on in years. The city's works committee has discussed with concern several times about ailing lines, especially the 50-year-old hooded duct. Fortunately, a leak at the vocational school in June 2021 showed that the water pipes are in better condition than expected. But what exactly is flowing under the streets of Schongau and how does district heating work?

The Schongauer Nachrichten took a look at the power plant.

The technology was explained by Peter Frömmrich, who is responsible for mechanical engineering at UPM and who supplies his house with district heating himself.

Michael Merkel, who has been responsible for energy and power plants at UPM for the past two years, also answered questions.

Florian Hiemer, technical plant manager at Schongauer Stadtwerke since November 2020, and his deputy Johannes Kuhl are also present at the appointment and have not yet seen all areas of the district heating system on the UPM site.

Michael Merkel, Energy and Power Plant Planning.

© Herold

There is no doubt that district heating in Schongau is a successful concept from which the city of Schongau and the paper mill as suppliers, but primarily the citizens, benefit.

The municipal utilities are self-operated, so they are not allowed to make any profits - in a good year the fees will be reduced immediately.

In 2019, the municipal utilities supplied their customers with more than 50,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of heat, the average price was 50 euros per MWh, making it competitive across Germany.

Price development for consumers always positive

UPM does not want to come out with the calculation formula for the heat sales price - gas and oil prices are also included - but the quarterly adjusted district heating prices have developed very positively for consumers in recent years, which is also repeatedly emphasized by the works committee .

Florian Hiemer is the technical plant manager.

© Herold

The energy required for paper production in Schongau is gigantic: In 2019, around 800 GWh of electrical power and an additional 700 GWh for thermal energy (live steam) were required.

According to a brochure published by UPM in 2021, this corresponds to around one percent of Bavarian electricity requirements.

For comparison: a four-person household consumes around 4 MWh of electricity per year (excluding hot water), so the consumption of electricity alone at UPM is as high as 200,000 households per year.

Optimal primary energy factor

What is given to Schongau households and public institutions as district heating is excess heat and is therefore not generated separately.

The energy for heating the water comes from the plant's steam network and was previously mainly used to dry the paper webs, i.e. it comes directly from the production process.

Therefore, an expert certifies the Schongau heat supply system has an optimal primary energy factor, "better than solar and wind energy," says Kuhl.

"A valuable contribution to environmental protection."

The red lines mark the current district heating network of Schongau.

© Stadtwerke

The demineralized water with a temperature of around 95 degrees runs in a closed circuit over a long pipe network through Schongau and then comes back at around 65 degrees to UPM's district heating plant, where it is reheated to 95 degrees via heat exchangers.

The supply artery for Schongau runs west of the railway bridge over the Lech in the direction of the fairground - there is a separate bridge for the district heating lines.

Johannes Kuhl is the deputy head of the municipal utilities.

© Herold

The success story of Schongau district heating began in 1966 with the first line bridge over the Lech, around 950 meters to connect the school complex.

The first private customer in Fanschuhstraße got his meter installed in January 1967, that is 55 years ago.

In 2021, the pipeline network will be 65 kilometers with 1,000 customers.

Many kilometers of pipes have been laid in the factory, Peter Frömmrich explains the system.

© Herold

What the data also shows: The Schongau district heating network is far from being at its limit, "there are enough reserves for the future," Frommrich puts it.

The maximum possible heat output of the plant is 29 MW, according to UPM a maximum of 20 MW has been delivered so far.

This value was achieved only once in 2018, knows Frömmrich, "otherwise we are always well below".

In summer, for example, when district heating is mostly only required for heating domestic water, two to four MW are supplied.

One meter connection costs 100 euros

The city receives around 20 inquiries as to whether it is possible to connect to the line network each year. "We try to comply with the request as soon as possible," says Kuhl. There is a list of interested parties. Hiemer: “We always check whether the main heat pipe can be expanded. The answer is not always positive, but we do it where it can be reasonably represented. ”The investment costs for expanding the network with two large rows of pipes for the flow and one for the return are high - this is best spread over many shoulders . The meter of connection cable costs 100 euros. What apparently also irritates some customers is the long contract for the purchase of heat. The district heating experts do not see it that way: You are bound by other heating systems too - by installing expensive technology.

Everything flashes and flashes: This extension generates the district heating for Schongau.

© Herold

In the east, the pipeline network runs through the Lechvorstadt.

The old town is connected to the north of UPM, to the east and west around the old town towards the vocational school center.

The most difficult supply point is the hospital - up on the mountain.

The district heating cycle is limited in the west by the Faulen Graben and the Gnettner area.

However, this is not due to the technology, but to contracts: For the entire western part of the city, you have a heating cost contract with Schwabengas.

Hiemer: "We are allowed to follow up, but we have to let you know, there is a 'gentlemen's agreement'."

Bringing everything under one roof

And what about the north of Schongau, where the next building area in Im Eichenfeld is to be built?

"That would be charming, but technically it is not entirely uncritical," says Frommrich.

Kuhl: "UPM would be happy, but you have to look to bring everything under one roof." Ultimately, the city council has to decide.

Peter Frömmrich, UPM mechanical engineering.

© Herold

In the event of a leak, it steams properly from the underground, as citizens report again and again.

The hot water is under pressure - it is introduced at seven to eight bar, at the highest point at the hospital it is still three bar.

And it evaporates suddenly.

There is no danger to the environment or even health, which is what callers are gladly assured in the event of a leak.

Vocational school and hospital in view

Not only the municipal utilities themselves have to take care of their pipeline system.

Frömmrich: "We are happy about every end user who takes care of the maintenance of their heat exchangers." Hiemer adds that some would not look at them for 25 to 30 years.

And the district heating success story in Schongau should continue.

A master plan is currently being drawn up.

It should show how things will continue in the long term and where work is to be done in the near future.

For example, you can keep an eye on the route between the vocational school and the hospital.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-01-12

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