Explore opportunities in the growing French district heating market

France is accelerating the development of district heating as part of its transition towards a low-carbon heat supply – creating new opportunities for Danish technology, know-how and experience.

In collaboration with the Danish Embassy in Paris, DBDH invites Danish companies to join a delegation visit to Toulouse in southern France.

The visit builds on the Danish state visit to France in 2025 and the strengthened bilateral cooperation on district heating. The ambition is clear: to bring Danish companies closer to the French market and create direct dialogue with cities, utilities, decision-makers, and technical experts working with concrete heat network projects. Focus areas include low-temperature networks, digitalisation, surplus heat, and citizen engagement. The visit supports France’s green transition and offers Danish companies direct access to a growing market.

Why Toulouse?

Located in south-west France, Toulouse, the “Pink City,” is the 4th largest city in France, with a metropolitan area of more than 800 000 inhabitants. It has adopted an ambitious plan to develop renewable and local energy.

The Metropolitan Area has three existing district heating and cooling networks and one new network currently under development. The energy supply is highly diversified, with a mix of heat from incineration, biomass, geothermal energy, and waste heat from data centres. Each network delivers from 12 GWh per year for the smallest to 160 GWh per year for the largest. This makes Toulouse a highly relevant meeting point for discussing how Danish technologies and experience can support the next generation of French heat networks.

What to expect

The program will combine site visits, networking and targeted workshops with local and regional stakeholders.

Participants can expect opportunities to:

• Meet French cities, heat network operators and other key market players
• Visit local district heating projects and discuss current challenges
• Present Danish solutions and relevant cases
• Exchange experience with French technical experts and decision-makers
• Identify concrete areas for future cooperation and business development

A digital introduction meeting will be organised ahead of the visit, giving Danish and French participants an opportunity to meet and help shape the discussions.

The final program will be developed together with our French partners to ensure a strong match between local project needs and the competencies of the Danish delegation.

Topics in focus

The dialogue is expected to cover areas where French stakeholders are showing particular interest in Danish experience, including:

Low-temperature district heating
How networks can be designed and operated efficiently at lower temperatures.

Digitalisation and optimisation
Using data, monitoring and intelligent control to improve network performance.

Surplus and recovered heat
Identifying and integrating local heat sources into district heating systems.

Geothermal energy and renewable heat
Combining local renewable resources with efficient district heating infrastructure.

Sector coupling
Creating stronger links between electricity, renewable energy production and heat.

Governance and project development
Experience with planning, ownership, cooperation and developing robust heat network projects.

Consumers and citizen engagement
Building trust, transparency and support for new district heating schemes.

Why join?

For Danish companies, this is not simply a market briefing. It is an opportunity to meet potential partners and customers in their own market and discuss solutions around real projects and needs.

By participating as a Danish delegation, companies can demonstrate not only individual technologies and services, but also how Danish district heating expertise works as an integrated system.

Whether you are already active in France or looking to enter the market, the visit offers an opportunity to strengthen your network, better understand the French market and position your company for future projects.

Who should join?

The visit is relevant for Danish companies and organisations across the district heating value chain, including technology suppliers, consultants, engineering companies, energy companies and solution providers working with heat production, networks, digitalisation, system integration and planning.

Join the delegation

Interested in developing your business in France? Join DBDH in Toulouse and bring your expertise directly to the French district heating market.
Join us to meet the local and regional ecosystem, public authorities, and private stakeholders!

For more information, please contact: