MVV Energie and European Heat Pump Projects to Expand District Heating Networks
MVV Energie is advancing plans for two heat pump modules in Mannheim totaling 162 MW, made up of two 82.5 MW units. These are expected to supply district heating to around 40,000 homes, with construction starting next year and operation anticipated by winter 2028-29. The Mannheim system will intake water from the River Rhine via 2 m diameter pipes, drawing about 10,000 litres per second. Heat is extracted from the water, which is then returned to the river. A multi-step filter protects aquatic life, and modelling suggests the river temperature rise will be under 0.1°C. This project is located at a coal plant site undergoing conversion to cleaner technologies, connected both to the local electricity grid and the district heating network as part of coal-fired unit decommissioning. The Mannheim heat pumps are projected to cost about €200 million, with Everllence estimating equipment costs at around €500,000 per MW of installed capacity, excluding buildings and other infrastructure.
Everllence's Aalborg (Denmark) project includes four 44 MW units totaling 176 MW, expected to be operational in 2027. Their Esbjerg project employs the same units but operates each at about 35 MW. Large storage tanks of 200,000 cubic meters will add flexibility to these systems. In Helsinki, the deployment of heat pumps may be constrained by the characteristics of the shallow sea. The city plans a 1,400 km district heating network connecting 90% of buildings, utilizing heat pumps, biomass, and electric boilers. Although electric boilers offer cheaper and more flexible balancing of renewables, they have lower efficiency than heat pumps.
In the UK context, no schemes currently rival the scale of Nordic and other European systems. The Exeter Energy Network will have at least 12 MW from three 4 MW air-to-water pumps, with the first unit due in 2028. Researchers see opportunities to expand heat pump deployment in post-industrial and rural areas and through use of heat from mines.
