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Pinnow freezes: 150 households affected without heating and hot water!
Pinnow is struggling with district heating problems: 150 households without heating, mayor reports on repairs and system status.
Pinnow freezes: 150 households affected without heating and hot water!
On this cold December day, the community of Pinnow, located in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is once again struggling with a serious problem: the district heating supply has failed. Since November 20th, over 140 households have been struggling without heating and hot water since the dilapidated system, which is around 35 years old, has repeatedly failed. The last few weeks have been a challenge for the citizens and the community, as ndr.de reports.
Mayor Günter Tiroux is keeping an eye on the situation. He informed that last weekend the temperatures remained in the basement in 150 households because both an emergency burner and a pellet burner were defective. These outages resulted in room temperatures in the apartments below 15 degrees Celsius - a condition that is hardly acceptable in the cold season. Another problem was that the third boiler only supplied heating water at 32 degrees Celsius, which was not enough to heat the houses.
Repairs in progress
The technicians from Berlin and Stuttgart are already on site and are working on a quick repair. The emergency burner has been repaired while the pellet burner repair is still in progress. A new gas boiler is even being installed, and a mobile heating plant is to be connected on Thursday to defuse the acute situation. A leak in the pipes is also detected using thermal imaging cameras, with the fire department providing active support.
But it's not just the technology that causes problems. Spare parts for repairs are difficult to obtain, which further complicates the situation. The municipality has already purchased used boilers as a temporary solution as the crisis requires a quick response. Citizens are wondering how long they will have to survive without heat.
Long-term perspectives and the heat transition
Given these challenges, the municipality's long-term strategy is questionable. The district heating supply is to be completely switched off in five years, which is why little is currently being invested in maintaining the ailing system. The question arises as to what comes after the shutdown. In the context of the heat transition, it is important to transform fossil-dominated systems into climate-neutral heat supply, as a study by the Competence Center for Public Economy makes clear. This transformation is a major challenge for many communities, not just in Pinnow.
With the upcoming repairs and the challenges brought about by the energy transition, it remains to be hoped that the Pinnow community will find a viable solution. Citizens fundamentally have a right to a warm home, and it is time for those responsible to recognize the urgency of this situation and act.