On September 10-11, more than 70 stakeholders from 7 European countries participated in a study tour co-organized by SHC by Sweden, SweHeat and Cooling, and the Swedish Energy Agency. The cooperation also included BIHES (Baltic Innovative Hybrid Energy System)* with the district heating associations from the Baltics. The tour, on the theme of “Large to Small-sized Heat Pumps in District Heating Networks”, brought together more than 15 member companies from Sweden and over 20 energy companies from France, the UK, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. The program included information sessions, a networking dinner, and site visits to Krokslätts Fabriker and Göteborg Energi. The result of a long-term engagement across several European markets, the tour provided an ample forum for enhanced business dialogues between Swedish and international companies in the district heating and cooling sector.

The study tour deep dived in several themes relevant for energy markets today but also for future collaboration; enhanced energy efficiency through integrated systems, scalable heat pump solutions, innovative system design, and smart asset management strategies. The tour also touched upon several emerging trends within district heating and cooling. For example, artificial intelligence has the potential to transform energy systems by optimizing operational efficiency and demand forecasting. Additionally, the potential of increasing integration of district cooling in networks was raised, to meet the high demand for sustainable cooling solutions.

One notable theme that was addressed was the benefit of adapting energy systems to allow for mixed energy sources, such as biofuels and waste heat.  For example, the tour showcased synergies between the operation of data centers and district heating systems, where waste heat generated by data centers can be captured and sold back to heating networks. Such models have the potential to modernize district heating systems, providing alternatives to wean these systems off traditional gas and coal reliance.

The tour offered a valuable platform for international collaboration, and SHC by Sweden remains committed to fostering the connections made, and paving the way for future activities that drive impactful business and increased collaboration in the district heating and cooling sector.

*BIHES (Baltic Innovative Hybrid Energy System) is a project co-funded by the Swedish Institute under the SI Baltic Sea Neighbourhood Programme.