Energy study supports Stadtwerke Erlangen on the way to climate-neutral heat generation

In 2022, the Erlanger Stadtwerke (ESTW) commissioned Iqony Solutions to conduct a study on the conversion of the district and local heating supply in Erlangen to renewable heat generation.

The objective was to show the municipal utility a path to a climate-neutral heat supply by evaluating possible generation technologies.

In line with the goals of climate protection and the necessary "heat turnaround", the strategic goal of the Erlanger Stadtwerke is to convert the entire heat generation to renewable generation technologies and thus achieve a climate-neutral and sustainable heat generation. Against this background, Iqony was commissioned to evaluate possible generation technologies and to draw up a strategic master plan for the transformation to climate neutrality.

The study provided assessments regarding the local availability of hydrogen and biogas/biomethane for the decarbonization of the existing generation fleet including measures for H2 readiness (a component or system is suitable for future use with hydrogen). In addition, other relevant generation technologies (e.g., heat pumps, solar thermal, electrode boilers), energy sources (e.g., biomass/wood waste), and thermal storage were considered and combined to create a diversified and carbon-neutral portfolio of plants.

In a next step, the results from the study prepared by Iqony will serve as a basis for the transformation of the heating network in Erlangen within the framework of the federal funding program Efficient Heating Networks (BEW).