Lörrach's heat transition: pioneer for climate-neutral heating solutions by 2040!

Lörrach's heat transition: pioneer for climate-neutral heating solutions by 2040!

The Lörrach district has great ambitions in heat supply and is setting standards with its inter-municipal heat plan, which it adopted in 2022. With the aim of achieving a climate-neutral heat supply by 2040, the district is currently the first and only one in Germany to have examined the feasibility of comprehensive heat planning. Ulrich Hoehler, the first state official, emphasizes the importance of cooperation between municipalities in order to effectively master the challenges of this heat transition. One of the biggest hurdles remains the transport of heat to urban centers, which are often far away from sources of renewable energy. In order to meet this challenge, a heating network was founded as a framework for the feasibility test, which includes all 35 municipalities and cities in the district.

The first steps towards implementing this ambitious project began on January 21, 2021 with a kickoff meeting, followed by a series of technical discussions and meetings to discuss the upcoming tasks and progress. For example, the first technical discussion with local and regional energy suppliers took place on March 30, 2021 to lay the data collection and foundations for the project. The exchange and feedback from experts is essential to further develop and adapt heat planning. The last meetings of the steering committee already showed concrete progress, with the package of measures being approved on July 21, 2022.

Challenges and opportunities of the heat transition

The enormous energy saving potential in the region based on industrial waste heat along the High Rhine as well as sustainable sources such as geothermal energy and biomass were identified in the planning. These climate-neutral heat sources are intended to cover the demand of around 700 GWh, with the aim of reaching a whopping 770 GWh by 2045. In this context, 12,200 buildings in the district have the opportunity to obtain heat from the planned network.

But it's not just the Lörrach district that is active, there is also a lot of work being done at the federal level when it comes to heat supply and climate protection. As the Federal Ministry of Economics reports, a new heat planning law has been passed that aims to provide climate-friendly and affordable heat supply in Germany by 2045. The key points of the law include the mandatory planning of heat supply areas and requirements for the use of renewable energies, which should account for at least 30% by 2030 and even 80% by 2040.

• Wichtige Fristen:
  • Bis 30.06.2026 für Großstädte
  • Bis 30.06.2028 für kleinere Gemeinden

The law will come into force on January 1, 2024, and municipalities will have until mid-2028 to draw up their heat plans. This significantly improves planning and investment security for all local players.

In summary, it shows that the heating transition in the Lörrach district and beyond is an exciting journey that offers both challenges and numerous opportunities. Given the ambitious goals, the next few years are crucial in order to realize the shared vision of a sustainable and climate-neutral energy supply.

For further information on the topic of heat planning and progress in the Lörrach district, you can read the reports from Black Forest messenger, Lörrach district as well as Federal Ministry of Economics track.