DH4PI: Industrial Process Heat Demand in District Heating Planning

DH4PI will develop a methodological framework for incorporating industrial process heat demand into heat planning. This will help integrate both industrial surplus heat and process heat in strategic energy planning and local heating and cooling plans.

Connecting industry and district heating

The transition of industrial process heat is emerging as one of the next frontiers for district heating. Across Europe, successful examples demonstrate that district heating can supply low-carbon process heat to industry, yet this opportunity is still largely missing from heat planning frameworks, energy models, and transition roadmaps.

DH4PI aims to bridge this gap. The project develops and tests a methodology for identifying where district heating can meet industrial process heat demand and how these opportunities can be incorporated into local, regional, and national planning processes.

Why this matters

District heating is already recognised as an important way to recover and utilise surplus heat from industry. However, much less attention has been given to the additional opportunity: using district heating to supply industrial process heat.

Understanding where these opportunities exist can enable national screenings of the potential for DH infrastructure to support a more affordable transition of the industry sector while improving the business cases for expanding DH systems through the inclusion of industry as an anchor load in heat planning.

Without the right methodologies and tools, promising opportunities can be missed before they are even investigated. An industrial company may not realise that district heating offers an attractive alternative to individual solutions, while a district heating company may overlook a nearby industrial customer with stable year-round heat demand. DH4PI seeks to make these opportunities visible through better planning methodologies and screening tools.

Industrial process heat: a missing piece in heat planning

Industrial process heat represents around half of industrial energy consumption in Europe. A significant share of this demand falls within temperature ranges that district heating can supply directly or with support from technologies such as high-temperature heat pumps. Despite this potential, industrial heat demand is rarely included when district heating systems are planned or expanded.

DH4PI focuses on process heat demand in sectors such as food and beverage production, paper and pulp, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. By understanding where demand exists, its temperature requirements, and how it matches local district heating systems, the project aims to reveal opportunities that often remain hidden in today’s planning approaches.

Identifying opportunities between industry and district heating

The core objective of DH4PI is to create a methodological framework that allows industrial process heat demand to be systematically included in district heating planning. The framework is designed to support planning at local, regional, and national levels and provide a common approach that can be transferred between countries.

The methodology is designed to support both the expansion of existing district heating systems and the development of new projects. It will help planners identify where district heating can create value for industry, municipalities, and energy systems while providing a consistent approach that can be adapted across different countries and planning contexts.

Supporting planners and decision-makers

To ensure practical impact, DH4PI will test the methodology in planning tools already used by local authorities in France, including EnRezo, MixEnR, EnergyMapper, and PowerDIS. This work will demonstrate how industrial process heat can become part of everyday planning and decision-making processes rather than remaining a theoretical opportunity. The project focuses on the ability to model PI-DH integration in any type of energy system modelling tool.

The project also engages municipalities, district heating companies, analysts, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders throughout the project period. Through collaboration, dissemination activities, and knowledge sharing, DH4PI aims to support future planning decisions and accelerate the integration of industry and district heating across Europe.