Heat pump installations for 5th generation district heating and cooling in the city of Brunssum
D2Grids Project
Mijnwater B.V. is developing a circular energy system for residential complexes of social housing corporation Weller B.V. Due to Mijnwaters’ heating and cooling network, the connected homes are not only heated without natural gas but will also be comfortably cooled with green energy. The new heat pump installations in Brunssum provide district heating and cooling supply for three residential areas, Tarcisius, Oude Egge and Pastor Savelbergstraat, with a total of 200 houses. The basements for heat pumps are connected to a subsoil heat and cold storage (TES) but also exchange energy between the different complexes. The project is part of the Natural Gas-free Brunssum pilot and the Interreg-NWE project D2Grids.
In 2019, Mijnwater started preparatory work in Brunssum. It is the first time that the energy company, with a sustainable mine water network in the city of Heerlen, went outside the municipal boundaries of its home base. In Heerlen, the warm water from the ON mines was the reason for the initiation of the mine water network. Although Brunssum also has suitable mines, these are not yet accessible. Nevertheless, Mijnwater sees opportunities, thanks to the development of its innovative thermal district heating and cooling network (or 5GDHC Smart Grid). Such a network uses multiple sustainable sources and waste heat, energy storage and mutual exchange between different users through underground underground thermal power plants. In Brunssum, Mijnwater placed the first basement at the corner of Gregoriuslaan at the end of 2019. With the second installation, it will be possible to supply three complexes with sustainable energy at once. This includes the newly-built care homes at “Tarcisius” and the existing neighborhoods “Oude Egge” and “Pastor Savelbergstraat”. In the future, the plan is to expand to a total of more than 800 homes and commercial buildings.
Photo caption: To minimize inconvenience during daytime, the second cellar of heat pumps of Mijnwater B.V. placed in the night of Thursday 23 to Friday 24 April 2020. © Mijnwater B.V.
The underground cellars contain heat pumps that feed the heat and cold network for the serviced buildings. The main pipes - which are largely laid under the sidewalks - run via the “Molenstraat”, “Steenbergstraat”, and under the “Prins Hendriklaan” to the new complex of Weller in the “Pastoor Savelbergstraat”. The prefab (concrete) basements were placed recently. The required installation skids will be placed next and made operational. This system is scheduled to function at the end of May, beginning of June 2020, although the current COVID-19 crisis may lead to (a small) delay. Local residents are kept informed of the progress of the work via the contractor.
The total investment for this part of the development is around 7.5 million euros. The project is one of the pilots in the Interreg NWE D2Grids project, for the upscaling of the 5th Generation District Heating and Cooling concept (5GDHC). Mijnwater is the lead partner of the Interreg project, in which the region is supported with a 2.5-million-euro subsidy. Additionally, the activities are part of the national pilots Natural Gas-Free Areas.
Learn more about the D2Grids project
