The Bruges Climate Plan 2030, put together with experts and local associations and entrepreneurs, was approved by the College and City Council in February 2022. The climate plan aims to emit at least 49% less CO2 by 2030. This as an intermediate step toward becoming a climate-neutral city by 2050.
The climate plan lists more than 200 actions. All these actions are divided under 7 different themes, which include fossil-free heating and renewable electricity. One of the many actions is clear: A search for additional green heat sources for both high and low temperature.
The first steps were already taken in 2021 when the heat zoning plan for the entire city's territory was approved. This zoning plan helped to give direction and scientific support to the vision and policy on sustainable heat in Bruges.
The heat zoning plan shows which neighborhoods and streets will be best heated collectively in a sustainable manner by 2050 from a cost-optimal perspective.
The assignment of Ingenium, together with partner EXTRAQT, included the investigation of the possible sustainable heat sources that could be used in the city of Bruges to provide public and private buildings with sustainable heat through a collective system. This research could be divided into 3 phases.
In a first phase, Ingenium investigated in cooperation with the city the available heat sources on the entire territory of Bruges and its districts. The result is a list and a map of the heat sources, completed with the available capacities, heat quantities and temperatures. In addition, a first qualitative assessment of the usability of the heat became available.
These heat sources can be divided into several categories:
We then looked at the extent to which the most promising and sustainable heat sources could collectively supply the various areas of the city with heat. Various simulation models were set up to determine zone by zone whether the existing sources are sufficient, and for each zone in combination with a large-scale heat buffer and a peak heat plant. Each time for the current heat demand of the city, and for the expected heat demand after renovation of all buildings. In this way the city has a view of the necessary collective heat infrastructure per heat network zone.
In a final phase, the various heat sources were evaluated energetically and financially. For each heat network zone, the expected energy consumption was examined and compared with the current situation and other possible fossil-free solutions. The (re)investment, energy and maintenance costs were estimated per heat source and per additionally required heat plant, as well as the 'Total Cost of Ownership' (TCO) and the 'Levelized Cost of Heat' (LCOH).
In this way, the city of Bruges gained a good insight into the necessary infrastructure for collective heat and can look at the start-up of the various subprojects in a goal-oriented way.
Would you have liked more info on this project? Contact our expert Joris Dedecker at joris.dedecker@ingenium.be or call 050 40 45 30.
