France news update December 2022

Clermont-Ferrand gets new heat network • Efforts to upgrade and modernize heat network in Rennes • Waste heat from data center to heat homes and businesses in Saint-Denis • Read more about the developments in sustainable heating and cooling in this month's news update from France

A new heat network in Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne-Rhône-Alps)

As part of the energy and ecological transition plan, the Metropole of Clermont Auvergne (21 municipalities) is actively promoting the development of renewable energy. The work started in November 2022 and an additional network will gradually connect more than 10 000 housing equivalents by 2026 with a total length of 70km, following the extension and interconnection of the two existing urban heating networks. The new network will reduce the territory’s carbon footprint significantly, about 25 000 tons of C02 per year, an equivalent of removing 10 000 thermal cars.

The total investment for the project is nearly 65 million euros, with support of ADEME. The new network will be managed by a new structure, a semi-public company with a single operation (SEMOP), created especially for this project within the framework for partnership between the Metropole of Clermont Auvergne and Idex, which was chosen after a competitive bidding process.

Most of the energy will come from the Valtom energy recovery unit (a household waste incinerator) and will supply a university campus, university hospital, as well as numerous public facilities and collective housing units.

Read more in article from Clermont Metropole (Municipality)

Read more in article La Montagne

The DH system in Rennes (Bretagne) is being developed and modernized 

As part of Rennes Metropole’s Territorial Climate-Air-Energy Plan, En’RnoV, an ENGIE Solutions subsidiary and concessionaire of the Rennes Nord Vilaine district heating network, is supporting the Metropole in an ambitious program to develop and extend its district heating network. Rennes Metropole has decided to roll out nearly 36 additional km and a major step to interconnect the networks of the north and east. Connecting these two networks will maximize the recovery of the produced energy. In addition, a third wood boiler plant is planned for the south of Rennes. The work is planned from autumn 2022 until summer 2023.

The heating network of Rennes now covers 83 km, with a continuous expansion since the establishment already in the 1960s. The three networks spread to the north, east and south of the city, now serves the equivalent of 53 000 homes. The goal is to reach 75 000 equivalent housing units by 2035, with approximately 150 km of pipes. This will make the Rennes Nord Vilaine DH network one of the largest heating networks in France.

Read more in article from Ouest France

Read more in article from Rennes Metropole (Municipality)

The heat network in Saint-Denis (Île-de-France) will be connected to Equinix data center to recover waste heat

Smirec, syndicat for heat energy networks, has signed an agreement with the data center operator Equinix to connect the district heating network in Saint-Denis to Equinix newly built data center. This will recover waste heat in the heating network.

The network is 70km long and is operated by Plaine Commune Energi, a subsidiary of Engie and delegate of Smirec. It provides heating to the equivalent of 60 500 homes in the cities of Saint-Denis, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Stains, L’ile-Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers, just outside of Paris. Through the connection of the datacenter, it will recover water heated to 28° thanks to the 6.6 megawatts of heat generated by the servers. The project will also help heat the future Olympic Aquatic Center and the Plaine Saulnier urban development zone, where the Greater Paris Metropole Area is the project owner.

The project represents an investment of 4.3 million euros, supported by Plaine Commune Energie and the Greater Paris Metropole. The work will begin with the connection of the network and installing heat pumps in 2023 with the goal to have it up and running by 2024. 

Read more in article from Cio-Online

Read more in article from Les Echos

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