A new connection line supplies the district of Zurich with district heating

Zurich (energate) – The connection between the Zurich-North and Zurich-West district heating networks is active. The first newly connected properties are already receiving district heating from Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ), the company writes. Specifically, it is owned by the Oberstrasse construction cooperative. The newly built connecting line is said to be 6.5 kilometers long, the pipes have a diameter of up to 50 centimeters. The hot water, which is produced at the Hagenholz waste incineration plant, flows through it to the west of Zurich and supplies heat to the connected properties. According to ERZ, new areas could be gradually developed along the underground connecting line in the Zurich districts of Oberstrass, Unterstrass, Wipkingen, Aussersihl and in the areas of Guggach and Zurich-West / Sihlquai. The basis for this expansion is mainly the framework credit of 330 million francs, which Zurich voters approved with 84.1 percent with the adoption of the energy law on November 28, 2021 (energate reported).

“With the connection line and the first connection of a building in the new district heating areas, today we set another milestone for net zero,” said Simone Brander, head of the civil engineering and waste disposal department. You recalled that the share of oil and gas heating in the city of Zurich is still 80%. “To achieve our climate protection goals, this percentage must be massively reduced. The expansion of district heating supply will make a significant contribution to the realization of this project.”

The north of the city provides warmth to Zurich West

The construction of the connecting line became necessary due to the decommissioning of the Josefstrasse waste incineration plant in March 2021. Until then, this had provided heat to the Zurich-West district heating network, which had existed since 1928. Previously separate district heating in Zurich-North and Zurich-West were connected to the connection line: the Zurich-West network can now be supplied with heat from the north of the city. 70 percent of ERZ district heating is currently produced with CO2-neutral residual heat from the Hagenholz waste incineration plant and Aubrugg wood-fired power plant. If the heat requirement is particularly high, the additional energy produced with natural gas or fuel oil is fed into the district heating network. Among other things, the energy center on the Josefstrasse construction site is used for this purpose.

According to its own statements, ERZ district heating currently covers around 16% of the city’s heat needs. After the expansion of district heating supply by 2040, this share is expected to increase to around 25%. Compared to fossil fuels, ERZ district heating already saves more than 200,000 tons of CO2 every year, ERZ writes. After the expansion, it will be 236,000 tons of CO2 per year. By 2040 at the latest, ERZ intends to completely renounce the use of fossil fuels in district heating production. “To achieve this, it will be necessary to expand renewable heat generation capacity, build additional heat storage and use heat more efficiently, especially at peak times,” ERZ writes. / SM