Heat recovery in sustainable cities

There is enough excess energy worldwide to heat all buildings, yet excess heat recovery examples are scarce. The best energy is the one not used, and the next best is the one reused. We can repurpose energy from industries and urban sources like data centers, metro stations, supermarkets, and underground mines. This recovered heat can be used locally, such as in space and tap water heating. Additionally, it can be sold for district heating purposes.

To keep the global warming target of 1.5 °C alive, we need to triple the installed capacity of renewable energy and double the rate of global energy efficiency improvements by 2030. Use of the excess heat available worldwide will be essential and a great opportunity to achieve this. Only in EU, the available excess energy is expected to surplus 2000 TWh in 2050 which could cover almost the full heat demand for space and tap water heating (Mathiesen 2023).

The excess heat is generated both from industrial processes and urban sources such as wastewater treatment plants, data centres, hospitals, and the metro. New solutions for heat reuse are being deployed every day. However, location, infrastructure, and demand patterns often cause heat to be lost.

• 22 countries in EU could cover more than 50 % of their current energy demand with excess heat.
• Low temperature excess heat from wastewater treatment plants, 442 TWh/year, and data centres, 221 TWh/year, can be lifted with industrial heat pumps to temperature levels suitable to supply the district heating grid.
• By improving the energy efficiency and preparing buildings for low temperature heat distribution we can reduce heat losses in the district heating system and allow utilization of lower grade excess heat sources. In doing so the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of industrial heat pumps are improved even further.
• 30 % of the electricity in hydrogen production is converted to heat. When planning hydrogen plants, the location should be carefully selected to allow heat recovery while providing cooling to the electrolyser.
• Expansion of water-carried systems such as district energy and heat networks will be a crucial enabler to distribute excess heat.
• Fit for 55 package: cities in EU larger than 45 000 citizens will be required to produce a heating and cooling plan with mapping of the available energy to facilitate sector coupling and deployment of essential energy infrastructure.
• When cooling residential and service buildings with individual chillers, heat is produced as a by-product. This heat should be used for tap water heating or used to provide efficient cooling with an absorption chiller.

• 99.9% of data centres’ electricity becomes excess heat. Our technology enables harnessing and reusing it for net-zero energy consumption.
• Alfa Laval has a broad range of contact points to connect energy companies to heat networks and district energy networks.
• With millions of heat exchangers in operation worldwide and an extensive R&D program for heat exchangers, we offer the most reliable solution.
• We have reference units in both industrial and urban excess heat applications to provide heat for district heating.
• All our plate heat exchangers have AHRI certification, ensuring superior thermal performance. Don’t take just our word for it.

Products

Semi-welded plate heat exchangers

• Unique gasket sealing system ensures safe operation and lasting efficiency.
• Compact design prevents cross-contamination and maximizes space utilization.
• Ideal for advanced, sustainable energy storage and high-temperature applications.

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Schimbătoare de căldură cu plăci și garnituri

• Soluții flexibile care pot fi adaptate la sarcină, asigurând cea mai mare eficiență termică
• Designul compact economisește spațiu și facilitează întreținerea și repararea
• Soluții pentru reducerea depunerilor, solicitării și coroziunii, pentru o durată maximă de funcționare

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Schimbătoare de căldură brazate cu plăci

• Construcție ușoară, sudată cu cupru, cu amprentă compactă
• Eficiență termică mai mare decât cea a sistemelor comparabile cu carcasă și tuburi
• Opțiuni flexibile pentru a se potrivi unei varietăți de aplicații cu toate tipurile de medii/fluide
• Ideal pentru agenți frigorifici naturali și cu GWP redus

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Schimbătoare de căldură cu plăci sudate prin fuziune

• Construcție 100% din oțel inoxidabil
• Rezistență puternică la coroziune în medii agresive
• Previne contaminarea metalică a apei potabile și a altor aplicații igienice
• Eficiență termică ridicată și amprentă compactă

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For a sustainable future - Carbon Capture, Green Hydrogen and Energy Storage

Decarbonization of Cities is one of the most complex challenges of our time. It will require completely transforming our global energy system, and this means that there is no single or simple solution. Beside constantly working with energy efficiency, reusing the energy already produced and for example working with excess from industries and Cities for comfort heat , it will take a combination of technologies and solutions, and advancing clean energy in order to reach the Paris agreement and climate challenges. Alfa Laval has a number of initiatives and already installed products in solutions that will be important for the future. Read more about Carbon Capture, Green hydrogen and thermal storage here.

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A beacon of energy-efficient excess heat recovery

Recovering industrial excess heat with heat exchangers and using it for district heating is one of the most effective ways to improve energy efficiency on a global scale. The Aurubis Group has taken this very approach to improve sustainability in one of their smelters.

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Hunting for excess heat

Alfa Laval heat exchangers have been used to recover heat for almost a century. Our energy-efficient solutions support heat reuse in diverse applications, from water and oil-cooled data centres to industrial processes like sulphuric acid plants. Join us in our search for heat-saving opportunities and discover how much you can reduce your energy bill with our solutions.

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Cooled acid turns to district heating

Since 1974 Kemira has, efficient and reliable, been selling energy to the city of Helsingborg.

The best energy is the one not used, and the next best energy is the one reused."

Following a total reconstruction of the cooling system at the Kemira sulphuric acid plant, the temperature of the cooling water has been raised to a level at which it can be used for district heating.

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