Energy planning Kapfenberg

In the “Sachbereichskonzept Energie“ (a new tool for local spatial planning established by the province of Styria), the municipality of Kapfenberg has identified potential district heating supply areas. Based on this, the innovative approach of a wastewater heat pump from the wastewater treatment plant into a new local heating network was investigated for the area of Kapfenberg Southwest within the framework of a feasibility study:

(i) The current heat demand of the wastewater treatment plant and the housing estate was determined and compared to the available heat potential (wastewater heat pump, solar thermal, biogas CHP waste heat).

(ii) The relevant plant components of the WWTP and the heat supply system were defined and investigated (wastewater heat exchanger, extraction pipe, digester heat exchanger, heat pump, integration of building heating, building renovation scenarios, heat connection line to the Riverside project).

(iii) Based on this, possible supply scenarios were developed and analysed. Here, the existing infrastructure had to be taken into account and optimal operating strategies for heat pump and biogas CHP had to be developed.

(iv) Finally, an implementation variant was decided upon and detailed studies were carried out.

(v) In order to provide information about the planned implementation at an early stage and to raise awareness of the new energy source among experts and the local public, various measures of stakeholder management were implemented in parallel to the technical investigations (various newspaper articles/interviews, public workshop with residents of the residential park, presentation at the general meeting of the Mürzverband).