Press release December 4, 2023
Iqony supports coal phase-out at Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG
The Essen-based energy specialist is the architect engineer for conversion of Reuter West, Berlin’s largest combined heat and power plant
Berlin/Essen. Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG has set itself the goal of phasing out energy generation from hard coal by 2030 and producing completely climate-neutral heat by 2040. For the operator of the largest district heating network in Western Europe with a length of over 2,000 kilometers, the conversion of Reuter West, its largest power plant site in Berlin’s Siemensstadt district, is a central cornerstone of this decarbonization strategy. As architect engineer, Iqony Solutions GmbH, a subsidiary of Essen-based Iqony GmbH, has been commissioned to oversee the project.
A significant part of the work consists of the technical integration of the various sub-projects and the planning of a new, climate-neutral heat supply. It is based on the use of waste heat from a neighboring waste recycling plant, a new biomass CHP plant and gas-fired hot water generators, which can also be fired with hydrogen in the future. There will also be a clear water heat pump, which will be connected to a new purification stage in a neighboring sewage treatment plant, the integration of existing electric and gas-fired hot water generators and a heat storage tank that will go into operation before the end of this present heating period.
The main technical challenges in that context are the hydraulic adjustments to the existing heating network needed to ensure smooth integration of the new components and the realization of the new systems to be installed on the existing heating plant site.
“Our task is to implement an energy concept that can reliably supply up to 400,000 households in Berlin with heat while minimizing emissions,” explains Andreas Dennewitz, who is responsible for the project at Iqony. Together with him, no fewer than 75 colleagues at Iqony are working on the project.
Berlin’s largest energy location
Reuter West is Vattenfall Wärme Berlin’s largest generation site. In terms of figures, around a third of the 1.4 million households connected to the district heating system in Berlin are supplied from there. This once again underlines the relevance and importance of the project for Vattenfall Wärme Berlin and the city of Berlin as a whole.
“We have drawn up an ambitious decarbonization roadmap to achieve our climate targets. The transformation of our Reuter West site is a key component in that plan. We are therefore delighted to have gained an experienced architect engineer in the form of Iqony, whose technical expertise will guide and support us on our journey,” says Christian Feuerherd, CEO of Vattenfall Wärme Berlin.
Experienced and solution-oriented engineers
Iqony has decades of experience in the planning, construction and operation of complex energy facilities and systems. “Our experts specialize in designing tailor-made energy solutions for our customers and partners and supporting their implementation. We have proven this time and again in numerous projects. We are delighted and a little proud that we can now contribute our knowledge to such a key project for the success of the heating transition in the German capital,” says Dr. Ralf Schiele, COO of Iqony.
