The need for large-scale heat storage facilities to phase out fossil fuels in the district heating sector is enormous. Based on Euro Heat & Power’s forecast of a European district heating demand of 1,780 TWh in 2050 and the assumption that around 5 to 15 percent of the annual heat demand will have to be stored temporarily, this would result in a calculated number of storage facilities of 22,500 to 67,500 with 100,000 m\u00b3 of water equivalent each.
The implementation rate has not been able to keep pace with the potential yet. Therefore, international collaboration at IEA level, cooperation within European research projects, national initiatives and simply the need to act regarding climate targets, are giving momentum to the topic. As a result, pilot plants are built in Denmark and Germany, as well as in other European countries. In Austria, several large heat storage facilities are currently being planned, for example the construction of a new type of underground tank storage facility for Fernw\u00e4rme Wien.
The current issue of the magazine \u201csustainable technologies\u201d provides an overview of national and international activities, technologies being used, and shows the excellent position Austrian players take in that field. But political commitment will be needed to implement such important future energy infrastructures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1173,"template":"","class_list":["post-1174","epaper","type-epaper","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n