Rostock is planning a gigantic water storage tank for green heating!

Rostock is planning a gigantic water storage tank for green heating!

Something is happening in Rostock when it comes to climate protection! The Rostock municipal utilities have big plans to save 400,000 tons of CO₂ annually, like this Baltic Sea newspaper reported. By 2035, two thirds of the city's heating systems should be powered exclusively by “green” energy. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the municipal utilities are planning to build one of the largest hot water storage tanks in Europe on Petersdorfer Straße.

What exactly is behind this mega-sized water reservoir? The new seasonal storage facility will be eleven times larger than the existing storage facility in Marienehe. Stored underground, it will be able to store up to 500,000 cubic meters of water at temperatures of up to 98 degrees Celsius. With a heat capacity of around 33 gigawatt hours, this energy is enough to supply Rostock with heat for a month.

Investments and progress

The municipal utilities have planned an investment sum of 250 million euros over the next four years, while the total costs are estimated at an impressive one billion euros. The federal government is supporting this project with a generous 99 million euros. This also includes the intention to efficiently use waste heat from local companies such as Danpower. The waste heat from the incineration plant in the Rostock seaport could represent a valuable source of energy.

Another municipal utility project is the expansion of the existing district heating network, which already covers over 400 kilometers. This ensures that around two thirds of the 120,000 households in Rostock can be supplied with district heating. In the case of new buildings or the replacement of old heating systems, there is also a requirement to connect district heating in order to further promote the switch to sustainable energy.

The context of climate targets in the EU

The municipal utilities' commitment fits into a larger context: actors at EU level are trying to reduce CO₂ emissions by developing clean energy sources. Over 20 percent of the energy consumed in the EU already comes from renewable sources, and the aim is to increase this share to 42.5 percent by 2030, according to the website European Parliament can be read. This effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels is actively supported by MPs, with the focus also on promoting hydrogen and offshore energy sources.

With these measures, Rostock shows that it has a good knack for future-oriented solutions. If everything goes according to plan, the new storage facility will be completed in four years so as not to lose the funding. The city is well on its way to playing a pioneering role in the area of ​​sustainable heat supply and at the same time making a decisive contribution to climate protection!