Climate-friendly heat supply

District heating, which is produced centrally in large plants and then supplied to consumers, is efficient and climate-friendly. Therefore, it fulfils the requirements of the Renewable Energies Heat Act. EWE VERTRIEB has built and commissioned around 30 district heating grids in the northwest and east of Germany – from the Ems-Weser-Elbe region to Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Depending on the local situation, the plants primarily use energy from combined heat and power and biomass. The operation is usually managed by EWE NETZ on behalf of EWE VERTRIEB. In Bremen and Bremerhaven, swb and wesernetz operate a 420-kilometres heating grid for EWE. In order to balance climate neutrality, security of supply, affordability and economic efficiency, EWE VERTRIEB is gradually transforming the heating supply – also as a basis for municipal heating planning, which must be implemented in the cities and communities over the next few years. Initial plans for the transition to "green" heating already exist for the large district heating grids and heating plants, for example in Erkner, Eberswalde and Oldenburg.

Local heating networks provide entire residential areas with climate-friendly heat. Compared to individual heating solutions in each building, they save energy and reduce CO₂ emissions—especially when utilizing sustainable technologies such as heat pumps, solar thermal energy, or photovoltaics. By supplying heat from renewable energy sources, districts can become self-sufficient in the long term. EWE VERTRIEB plans and builds local heating networks for an intelligent and environmentally friendly heat supply. So far, local heating grids have been operated with combined heat and power plants and natural gas boilers. In the future, EWE VERTRIEB will primarily rely on electricity-based solutions in new development areas.

Municipalities must now ensure that the planned heat supply for new construction projects and district developments is climate-friendly and future-proof. Local and district heating grids often play a crucial role as a key component of municipal heat planning. EWE NETZ and swb or wesernetz support municipalities in municipal heat planning with consulting services. Together with the local authorities, they develop customised, dynamic concepts that are flexible in terms of technology. At the end of the planning process, practical measures for the municipal heat supply are defined, which are then put out to tender for implementation.