European district heating: coping with energy abundance

Journal Article · · Cogeneration; (United States)

OSTI ID:6214905

While new energy sources have opened up opportunities for many district heating utilities, others find them limiting their markets. A discussion of this volatile situation was high on the agenda at the 22nd UNICHAL district heating congress, held recently in Copenhagen. At the conclusion of the session, the following points were clear. (1) While natural gas has penetrated the space-heating market in the Benelux countries and the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries are using it to fuel existing district-heating systems and see opportunities for its use in both existing and new combined heat and power (CHP) facilities. (2) Nuclear power, through lower electricity costs, does provide the opportunity for increased use of heat pumps, as is now the case in Sweden. And nuclear plants can be converted to supply industrial process heat. All of which is seen by some district heating operations as directly impinging on their markets. An overview of district heating developments in both Eastern and Western Europe is presented.

• OSTI ID: 6214905
• Journal Information: Cogeneration; (United States), Journal Name: Cogeneration; (United States) Vol. 2:6; ISSN COGEE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290800 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Heat Utilization-- (1980-)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320603* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Public Utilities-- (1980-)
ASIA
BELGIUM
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CENTRAL HEATING PLANTS
COAL
DENMARK
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISTRICT HEATING
DUAL-PURPOSE POWER PLANTS
EASTERN EUROPE
ENERGY SOURCES
EUROPE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRANCE
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HEATING
MARKET
MATERIALS
NATURAL GAS
NETHERLANDS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
SCANDINAVIA
SWITZERLAND
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
UNITED KINGDOM
USSR
WESTERN EUROPE
YUGOSLAVIA