Idex district heating network in Nice in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur has inaugurated a geothermal power plant to supply energy for heating and cooling • The Beaumont district heating network will see an investment of 47 MEUR to extend the network • Paris Council will soon decide for the future of its heating network, after being managed by CPCU on concession for nearly a century • Read more about the developments in sustainable heating and cooling in this month's news update from France
Idex has inaugurated a geothermal plant in the Nice Méredia eco district. The power plant is supplied with water from the Var Alluvial aquifer at 15◦C, where the recovered underground water is pumped through 40m deep geothermal boreholes before passing through heat exchangers. Energy is created and sent into thermo-fridge-pumps and will help supply 50 buildings in the district by 2032. This process helps avoid energy loss and the project is also an advantage for purchasing power, allowing for prices 15% lower than the average prices in France for non-renewable energies.
Idex has been commissioned by the Nice Cote d’Azur metropolitan area to build and operate the heating and cooling network for the future Méridia district, and this project is the first geothermal power plant in the south of France to use groundwater. The network will supply 3,500 housing equivalents with 82% renewable energy and recovery (RE&R) for heating and 78% for cooling. It will also help reduce CO2 emissions by 4,000 tons per year. By 2032, the objective is to build a heating and cooling network for the entire Nice Méridia district, consisting of 500,000 m2 of buildings (incl. housing, schools, offices).
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As part of its energy and ecological transition plan, Clermont Auvergne Métropole is developing their urban heating network to include a higher level of renewable energies. In total, they will invest 47 mn EUR until 2024 where the existing heating network of 8km will be extended by 25 additional km (33km in total). The new network will be supplied with energy recovered from the Valtom energy recovery plant. In total, it will supply hot water to 10,000 housing units and reduce the CO2 by 14,000/year.
The management of the network will be entrusted to SEM Clauvaé (Clermont Auvergne Valorisation Énergétique), a joint venture partnership between Idex and the Metropole.
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The city of Paris will put the management of its heating network up for question, which entails a contract with €8.5-10 bn in turnover over a period of 25 years. It is a huge opportunity that represents 20% of the French market for heating networks. Due to its size, it brings a central question in terms of energy policy as elected officials must consider how to best with climate change, and in turn: what energy company that could manage it the best. The network currently supplies heating to 500,000 homes and steam to ~5,900 customers, including all Parisian hospitals and 40% of tertiary buildings. It includes 500 km of underground pipes and the objective is to extend it by 12% by 2030, and by 46% by 2050.
The subsidiary of Engie CPCU has managed the network since 1927 and intend to do so moving forward, even after its expiration on Dec 31, 2024. Questions, however, remain related to whether the city will continue to entrust the network to a private partner and whether the framework will be revised for future collaborations. Other stakeholders are interested in the project, as French Dalkia (EDF), Idex and Coriance, but they remain unsure whether the city would be ready to change concessionaire. It may simply be a call for competition, expressed in the shape of new tenders.
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