District Energy News

A Danish-Polish consortium has completed a project exploring how the Radzionków district heating system can gradually move away from coal while continuing to provide affordable, reliable heat and meet future EU energy efficiency requirements.

Four scenarios for decarbonisation

The consortium included PEC Bytom, Ramboll Poland, DBDH, Fenagy, Aalborg CSP, EMD International, and Gullev DH Advisory.

Rather than pointing to one single solution, the project developed and assessed four technical scenarios. These combined technologies include biomass conversion, wastewater-based heat pumps, gas-fired CHP units, electric boilers, photovoltaic systems, and thermal energy storage.

All scenarios were prepared in line with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, PEC Bytom’s Climate Neutrality Plan, and long-term decarbonisation targets towards 2050.

Strong cooperation between consultants and technology providers

A key strength of the project has been the close cooperation between Ramboll as engineering consultant and the Danish technology companies Fenagy, Aalborg CSP, and EMD International.

This was complemented by strategic advice from Lars Gullev and facilitation by DBDH. The close sparring helped ensure that the proposed solutions are not only technically robust, but also practical, realistic, and aligned with operational realities.

Roadmap for 2026–2029

The project concludes with a Roadmap for implementation covering the period 2026–2029.

The roadmap outlines concrete next steps, including conversion of coal-fired boilers to biomass, integration of surplus heat through heat pumps, clarification of gas infrastructure possibilities, and establishment of thermal storage to improve system flexibility.

Flexibility as the key conclusion

A clear conclusion from the project is that future district heating systems must be built around flexibility.

This includes flexibility in fuel choice, system integration, and storage capacity — and, most importantly, the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing energy landscape.