Sector integration in Copenhagen
- waste heat from district cooling recovered for district heating
The case
In the heart of Copenhagen, a historic building is home to a new Fenagy heat pump installation by HOFOR, a key district heating and cooling provider in the city. This heat pump is the first of 10 planned units, which together are expected to replace up to one-third of the biomass currently used for heating and will eventually provide heat to approximately 130,000 apartments.
The heat pump utilises waste heat from HOFOR’s district cooling facility at the same location. In the summer, excess heat in the district heating network can be rejected into seawater taken from the city harbour. As the electricity used comes from wind and solar energy, the project is an excellent example of effective sector integration.
The heat pump
The heat pump installation consists of two H-1800 WW units and one H-1200 WW unit, customised to meet the specific requirements of this unique location, which has very limited space and strict noise regulations. The racks are slightly shorter than usual, with larger pumps integrated on both the cold and warm sides. Additionally, the compressor compartments are sound attenuated using specially designed panels, reducing noise levels from Lw = 105 dB(A) by 4-5 dB. The heat pumps are equipped with special vibration-reducing machine feet to prevent vibrations from being transferred to the machine room.
The three racks are positioned at two levels on a steel frame. The heat pump uses CO2 as a refrigerant, which is an optimal choice for a mid-city location in terms of safety. It supplies heat to approximately 2,500 homes in Copenhagen.
The heat pump was commissioned in the autumn of 2024 and was fully handed over to the customer after commissioning.
Year: 2024
Model:
2 x H-1800 WW · 1 x H-1200-WW
Application:
Combined district cooling and district heating
Capacity: 3.3 MW cooling · 4.9 MW heating
47°C/75°C hot water, 12.5/5.5 cold water
Heat source: Water
COP: 2.7