Funding, planning, implementation: The path to a renewable heating network in Brunsbüttel

The presentation highlights key challenges in the implementation of a renewable heating network by Westholstein Wärme GmbH in Brunsbüttel, including scheduling, compatibility with subsidy requirements, and dynamic technical development. It shows how these aspects significantly influenced the project and what solutions were developed to enable a sustainable heat supply.
The starting point was a neighborhood concept in 2018, which was continuously developed through the founding of the company in 2021, initial construction measures, and a fundamental realignment. In the course of the project, it became apparent that the technical development deviated significantly from the original funding project. After consultation with the BAFA, a transformation study was set up in 2024, which now forms the basis for the expanded project. The official start of construction will take place in 2025 for the energy center and the approximately 7-kilometer-long heating network, which will use climate-neutral energy from industrial waste heat, industrial wastewater, and a wood chip heating plant. With an output of up to 20 megawatts, the project sets new standards for the heating transition in the region.