3 billion of Copenhagen square meters to be cooled by seawater

More than 100 megawatts of district cooling, covering approximately three billion square metres, is now available to major customers in Copenhagen. The Copenhagen utility company HOFOR has now expanded green cooling solutions to a larger part of the capital.

By State of Green | [email protected]

25 September 2024

district energy pipes at cooling station in Copenhagen

District energy: Supplying energy-efficient heating and cooling through a collective system

District energy is about securing an energy-efficient heating and cooling supply through a collective system. Put simply, district energy is about moving energy in water, with a valuable temperature, from a place of production to the place of consumption.

By pumping water from the sea through pipes in a renewable cycle, district cooling offers a greener alternative to conventional electrical air conditioning.

The Danish utility company HOFOR, which provides Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen with both heath and cooling, is now increasing its capacity to distribute district cooling, meaning more of Copenhagen will benefit from this sustainable option.

District cooling is an attractive choice for companies, as traditional air conditioning systems take up a lot of space that could be used for other purposes, such as roof terraces, whereas district cooling is decentralised.

Jakob Thanning, District Manager of Client Solutions and District Cooling, commented on the upscaling:

“We are very pleased that more contractors are choosing district cooling for projects such as commercial buildings. The expansion of the district cooling system by several megawatts demonstrates our high ambitions. This cooling method grows alongside the city’s expansion and development.”

One of the new major clients to be connected to the district cooling system is the historic Kuglegården in Copenhagen. Kuglegården, over 275 years old, has served as both a naval base and a part of the Danish defence forces.

This news follows HOFOR’s recent progress in supplying greener district energy to Copenhagen. Recently, the first of HOFOR’s ten planned heat pumps was put into operation, providing green district heating to more than 130,000 apartments in the capital.

District cooling and heating, an ingrained part of the Danish mindset

While many countries have opted for individual, on-site heating and cooling solutions, Denmark decided to focus on collective heating systems after the oil crisis of the 70s. Today, 64 % of all Danish households are supplied by district heating, contributing to making Denmark one of the most energy-efficient countries in the world. The efficiency of the system is created in three parts; creating heated or chilled water, avoiding heat loss in the distribution as well as effective connection and use on the consumer side.

Co-generation of electrical and thermal energy at Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants enables to reach efficiency levels above 90 %, making it a particularly efficient and cost-effective way of supplying heat and cooling in densely populated areas. An example is the Danish capital Copenhagen, where 98 % of the households are supplied by district heating.

Read the full article about district cooling in Copenhagen (in Danish).

District heating: A Swiss army knife in transforming future energy systems

Explore how Denmark’s district heating system are used as a key tool in transforming the future energy system, paving the way towards reaching ambitious climate goals.

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