Rotterdam to receive new €100 million district heating network
Visser & Smit Hanab, a VolkerWessels company, has won the contract for the design, construction, and maintenance of a unique heating system in the Rotterdam area. Construction of a heating network was an initiative of Warmtebedrijf Rotterdam. The network will allow for the reuse of residual heat that the industry in the port of Rotterdam emits. A pipeline route measuring 26 kilometres will transport the heat to Rotterdam Zuid.
Construction
work
Construction work will commence in the spring of 2012 and last about 1.5 years. Visser & Smit Hanab will install the mains system, consisting of a 26 kilometre long underground pipeline, and other systems including heat transfer and pumping stations. The pipeline route runs from the AVR-Van Gansewinkel waste processing and power plant in Rozenburg to the Maasstad Hospital, a branch running from Groene Kruisweg to the Wilhelminapier. As part of the work, various railways, roads and waterways, including the Oude Maas, the A15, and the Maashaven and Rijnhaven, will need to be crossed. In addition, Visser & Smit Hanab will provide maintenance work on the total installation for a period of 15 years. Upon completion in 2013, the heating network will deliver durable heat equal to the heat consumption of about 50,000 households.
Residual heat
The industries in the port of Rotterdam emit a
large amount of heat. Currently, this residual heat goes up into the atmosphere
or is discharged in water, while it might very well be reused to heat
residences and companies. So, here is the idea behind the heating network:
residual heat is reused elsewhere after being transported through a network of
pipelines. Many gas-heated boilers will become redundant as a result. The Municipality
of Rotterdam has calculated that the heating network will lead to an annual
reduction of 70 to 80 kilotons of CO2.
A natural fit
As of now, the AVR-Van Gansewinkel waste processing and power plant is the only supplier of heat to the network; from mid-2013 onward, the heat will be purchased by power companies E.ON Benelux, Nuon, and Eneco. They will ensure distribution to end users. Alexandra van Huffelen, alderman, is pleased that work is now starting: “The way that the pipeline network is installed will allow companies located along the pipeline route to benefit from the network - or contribute heat. In addition, the network may in the future be connected to other sustainable energy sources, including geothermal energy, biomass, and solar energy. Ultimately, this will lead to an even bigger CO2 emission reduction. Thus, the heating network is a natural fit within the objectives of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative.”
Source: Warmtebedrijf Rotterdam / Visser & Smit Hanab
