Heating pump system will ensure heating in Laurbjerg, Denmark

The basic amount for the country's decentralized heating plants depreciated in 2019. Additionally, the situation in Europe has put pressure on the gas supply, and the outlook in Laurbjerg, Denmark was – as with many heating plants – a financial loss, resulting in a more expensive heating bill for consumers. Therefore, Laurbjerg wanted to optimize heat production to ensure a stable and affordable supply.

In addition to the political decision to phase out gas, the board of Laurbjerg also holds a clear ambition for district heating for the city's residents. They aim for efficient heating with significantly fewer CO2 emissions, making it robust against future political and social interventions. This way, the plant can continue to secure the best prices for approximately 370 consumers who receive heat from the Laurbjerg Power Plant.

“We needed to optimize heat production to ensure stable and the most cost-effective heat for our consumers, while simultaneously optimizing energy production to reduce CO2 emissions,” says Morten Møller, Chairman of the Board at Laurbjerg Power Plant.

Considering the socio-economic analysis, the heat pump plant has demonstrated itself as the optimal substitute for the current production method. The plant achieves a reduction of nearly 87% in CO2 emissions while also generating savings for consumers. Nevertheless, the unstable nature of the energy market introduces uncertainty in quantifying the precise current savings. Nonetheless, one certainty remains: by incorporating the heat pump into the plant's forthcoming production infrastructure, the facility will be notably better equipped to confront future challenges within the energy market.

The plant will cover 90% of the production
The new production facility comprises a 1.2 MW heat pump unit, which draws heat from energy collectors located close to the heat pump building. The energy collectors are expected to cool the outside air by 4-5 ℃ and supply the heat to the heat pump. The plant has an efficiency of 325% (COP 3.25) regarding absorbed electrical power.

Laurbjerg Power Plant anticipates that the heat pump facility will account for 90% of the plant's annual heat production. The remaining production will use the existing natural gas engine and gas boiler. The boiler system has been enhanced with a new burner and is required to ensure the supply during periods when the heat pump system is incapable of meeting the production demand.

Space for more devices
The heat pump will be installed in a new central heating plant and connected to the transmission line that previously conveyed surplus heat to the Laurbjerg Power Plant from the nearby biogas plant.

There will also be additional space available for potential future production units in the five-hectare area designated for the establishment of the heat pump plant.

It is important for us to future-proof the plant as best as possible, and this is one of the ways we have done it," says Morten Møller.