Enabling strategies and investment plans for efficient, multi-energy and digitalized DHC

ongoing

ENABLE DHC aims at fostering the switch of district heating and cooling (DHC) networks towards efficient DHC as defined in the Energy Efficiency Directive, by developing 9 case studies of investment plans in 7 countries (AT, HR, IE, IT, LV, SI, UA) with very different framework conditions. The plans will be developed in close cooperation with the DHC utilities with a focus, as distinguishing features, on digitalization, assessment of investment risks and sector coupling. Through a Case Study Assembly, the EU-added value of the cooperation among the DHC operators is ensured. Furthermore, the impact of the activities will be enhanced through a concrete support to 18 follower case studies in the project countries and thanks to an ambitious replication plan including 7 national workshops, 3 Pan-European webinars, 1 mid-term policy workshop and 1 final event, targeting DHC stakeholders also beyond the project boundaries. An intense policy work will be also carried out, leading to the development of 7 policy roadmaps for the project countries, endorsed by public authorities, and of a ‘Blueprint for action’. Stakeholders will be directly involved also through 9 DHC Working Groups connected to the case studies and their interest is witnessed by the 50 letters of support received. The consortium, including 12 partners, is well equipped for pursuing the project objective: 3 key technical partners performing the studies for the investment plans, 4 local partners acting as interfaces between the technical partners and the utilities managing the DHC networks, 4 partners dealing with policy support, dissemination and replication and 1 utility directly representing one of the case studies. All the other DHC operators of the case studies have been included as associated partners through a specific letter of support. Already within the project time frame, a RES generation of around 654 GWh/year and almost 100 million EUR of investments in sustainable energy will be triggered.