In a collaboration between Svenska kraftnät and Stockholm Exergi, the heat from a network station in Stockholm will be re-used in the city's district heating system.
The road to a sustainable future requires a comprehensive expansion of the electricity grid. The network includes not only power lines but also all interconnection points where the electricity in the transmission network is converted to lower voltage for regional and local distribution.
In light of the increasing electrification, Svenska kraftnät has an ambitious plan to expand Sweden's transmission network. One of the expansion projects is the Skanstull substation in Stockholm, which is planned to be operational in 2023 and will have an output of up to 1000 MW.
Skanstull will be the first national network station in Sweden to be built with an integrated system for recycling cold and heat. The power station has limited energy losses, but since the effect will be so great, Stockholm Exergi expects to be able to recover approximately 8,000 MWh of heat each year that will be used in Stockholm's district heating system. The heat recovery from Skanstull's station corresponds to an annual heating of approximately 2,200 modern apartments.
"For Svenska kraftnät, this project is an important milestone. All over the world, this energy is currently being wasted. We hope to see more of this form of project, which means that our network can deliver valuable renewable energy with even higher efficiency", says Peter Berg, project manager at Svenska kraftnät.
In order for it to be possible for Svenska kraftnät to make the necessary investments, Stockholm Exergi buys the heat.
"We are constantly looking for new opportunities to improve Stockholm's energy efficiency and then heat recovery is one of the tools. I am very happy that we can now add another valuable energy source to our district heating system", says Erik Rylander, head of Open District Heating and Stockholm Data Parks at Stockholm Exergi.
Heat recovery is an integral part of Stockholm's energy system with data centers, industry, grocery stores, cold storage, ice rinks and now electricity grid stations. Stockholm Exergi's ambition is to cover 10 percent of Stockholm's heating needs with recycled heat.
