This October, DBDH and a team of Danish district heating experts travelled across Scotland and England to support local councils in developing their first or next district heating projects.
Over four full-day workshops – in Dundee, Edinburgh, Alloa, Sheffield, and London – around 50 Scottish councils and stakeholders took part in lively discussions on planning, financing, customer engagement, technical design, and the all-important next step: getting the pipes in the ground!
The mentor team, led by Morten Jordt Duedahl (DBDH), included Elsebeth Arendt (Kredsløb), Jesper Møller Larsen (Verdo), Niels Hansen (Albertslund Forsyning), Lasse Jacobsen (Albertslund Forsyning), Martin Egeskow-Gjerka Schmidt (Aalborg Forsyning), and Tom Diget from Viborg Varme, together with Poul Rask Nielsen from Hjørring Municipality. Together, they shared Danish experience from decades of district heating development – from technical solutions and regulation to politics, data, and citizen engagement.
“The interest and momentum in both England and Scotland are impressive,” says Morten Jordt Duedahl. “Councils are eager to move from plans to projects – and Denmark’s practical experience with integrating heat networks, local ownership, and customer trust is highly relevant.”
The mentor programme is funded by DESNZ and Scottish Government. The aim is to accelerate local district heating rollout in Scottish municipalities that are currently heavily reliant on natural gas.
Reflecting on the Sheffield workshop, Poul Rask Nielsen summed up a key challenge:
“At the end of the day, one question was on my lips: How to do the mind changing? The biggest barrier is not technical – maybe not even economic – it’s mindset. Engineers are essential for the hardware, but they must work together with people who understand the software: what happens between the ears.”
With strong local engagement and a growing sense of urgency, the workshops confirmed that Scottish and English cities are ready to move from planning to action. Or as one mentor put it:
“Stop talking about pipes – start putting them in the ground!”
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