Wien Energie Builds a New Large Heat Pump for a Climate-Friendly District Heating Supply
Wien Energie has announced the construction of a new large-scale heat pump at the Spittelau waste incineration plant, which will increase the plant's efficiency by 13 percent and supply 16,000 households in Vienna with district heating from 2025. This third large-scale heat pump in Vienna is a significant step towards the city's climate targets, which aim to be climate-neutral by 2040.
Construction started to build in a large heat pump at Spittelau. / Picture: © Wien Energie
The plant, with an impressive output of 16 megawatts, will not only supply additional households with heat but will also save around 22,000 tons of CO2 annually. Peter Hanke, City Councillor for Finance, Economy, and Wiener Stadtwerke, emphasized that achieving the climate targets and ensuring a secure heat supply for the Viennese population is a top priority.
The investment of around 40 million euros in this ultra-modern plant marks a milestone in Vienna's heating transition. Karl Gruber, Managing Director of Wien Energie, explained that the heat pumps will increase the efficiency of the entire waste incineration plant to over 95 percent.
The innovative use of waste heat from the waste incineration plant's flue gas cleaning system is not only environmentally friendly but also saves water resources. The heat pump technology will cool the condensate produced when the flue gas is cooled by around 10 degrees Celsius and use this energy to generate heat of around 90 degrees Celsius, which will then reach Viennese households via the district heating network.
The aim is for district heating in Vienna to be completely climate-neutral by 2040. Currently, around half of Vienna's district heating comes from combined heat and power plants that run on natural gas. In addition to large heat pumps, Wien Energie is also relying on geothermal energy to achieve this goal.
The new Spittelau large-scale heat pump is one of a series of successful Wien Energie projects. The first system at the Simmering power plant site went into operation in 2019 and uses the residual heat from the cooling water circuit. Another large plant is currently under construction at the Ebswien wastewater treatment plant, which will supply 112,000 households with climate-neutral heat when fully expanded.
The Spittelau waste incineration plant, a Viennese landmark, is considered a role model for climate protection in the city. It recycles 250,000 tons of Viennese household waste every year and generates heat and electricity for the city. With this new project, Wien Energie is setting another example for sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply.