BERLIN (AP) — The rust-colored tower that rises from an industrial site near the banks of Berlin’s Spree River doesn’t look like the elegant jugs Germans use for coffee, but its purpose is similar: to provide some warmth throughout the day donate coffee, especially when it’s cold outside.
With a height of 45 meters (almost 150 feet) and a capacity of up to 56 million liters (14.8 million gallons) of hot water, energy supplier Vattenfall says the tower will help heat Berlin homes this winter, even if Russian gas supplies run dry.
“It’s a giant thermos that helps us store heat when we don’t need it,” says Tanja Wielgoss, who heads the Swedish company’s heat division in Germany. “And then we can release it when we need it.”
District heating systems powered by coal, gas or waste have been around for more than a century, but most are not designed to store large amounts of heat. Instead, they burn as much fossil fuel as necessary, contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions that drive global warming.
The new system, which was presented on Thursday at the Vattenfall power plant in Reuter, will hold water that is almost brought to the boil with electricity from solar and wind power plants throughout Germany. At times when renewable energy exceeds demand, the facility effectively functions as a giant battery, storing heat rather than electricity.
“Sometimes there is an excess of electricity in the grids that you can no longer use, and then you have to switch off the wind turbines,” says Wielgoss. “Where we stand, we can absorb this current.”
The €50 million ($52 million) plant will have a thermal capacity of 200 megawatts – enough to meet much of Berlin’s summer hot water needs and about 10% of its winter hot water needs. The huge, insulated tank keeps the water warm for up to 13 hours, helping to bridge short periods of little wind or sun.
It will also be able to use other heat sources — such as that derived from wastewater, Wielgoss said. While it will be Europe’s largest heat storage facility when it is completed at the end of this year, an even larger one is already being planned in the Netherlands.
Berlin’s top climate officer Bettina Jarasch said that the faster such heat storage systems are built, the better.
“Because of its geographical location, the Berlin region is even more dependent on Russian fossil fuels than other parts of Germany,” she told The Associated Press. “That’s why we’re in a real hurry here.”
“The war in Ukraine and the energy crisis are teaching us that we have to get faster,” said Jarasch.
“First of all, go carbon neutral,” she said. “And secondly, to become independent (from energy imports).”
Figures released Thursday by the Association of German Utilities (BDEW) show that efforts to reduce natural gas consumption are having an effect.
Gas consumption fell by 14.3% in the first five months of this year compared to the same period in 2021.
Some of the drop was due to milder weather, but the industry group said even allowing for warmer temperatures, there was a measurable drop that was attributed to bumpier economic conditions, appeals from the German government to save energy and personal efforts by individuals.
Wielgoss said she was confident Vattenfall’s customers won’t get cold this winter, despite the looming gas shortages from Russia, as Moscow retaliates from Western sanctions by reducing gas flow through key pipelines.
“Consumers in Germany are very well protected,” she said. “So you certainly won’t experience any shortages. But of course we appeal to everyone to really start saving energy.”
“Every kilowatt hour we save is good for the country,” she added.
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