Heat pumps

Reducing losses in district heating through heat recovery in Brønderslev

14. July 2023
Reducing losses in district heating through heat recovery in Brønderslev

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A new 10 MW heat pump project in Slagelse strengthens the long-term collaboration between Aalborg CSP and Envafors — and reflects a broader shift toward electrified district heating.

OUR IMPACT

A 1 MW air-to-water heat pump system is being implemented at Brønderslev Forsyning in Denmark to utilise waste heat from existing biomass boilers. The project is delivered as a turnkey EPC solution and integrated into the existing district heating plant.

The system is designed to capture excess heat generated in the boiler environment — energy that would otherwise be lost — and upgrade it to district heating temperature. This is achieved by extracting heat from the boiler room via an air cooling system and transferring it to the heat pump.

Once recovered, the heat pump compresses the energy to the required supply level for the district heating network. When operating conditions change, the system can switch to ambient air as a secondary heat source, maintaining stable operation across varying loads and temperatures.

The solution is tailored to the existing plant, which includes biomass boilers and additional renewable assets. By integrating the heat pump into this setup, the system can adapt to real-time conditions such as electricity prices and weather, while improving the utilisation of available energy streams.

This approach reflects a broader shift in district heating: increasing focus on recovering and upgrading low-grade heat rather than expanding primary generation capacity.

WHY IT MATTERS

Waste heat from existing assets is a largely untapped resource.
 Heat pumps make it possible to convert this energy into usable heat and improve overall system efficiency without additional fuel input.

 

This article was originally published under Aalborg CSP and has been editorially adapted for aalborg hc systems.

WHAT WE DID

Proven at scale,
delivered worldwide

All projects
8.260 m² PTES lid solution
Dronninglund (DK)

8.260 m² PTES lid solution

1.5 MW wastewater heat pump
Stenløse (DK)

1.5 MW wastewater heat pump

10.2 MW air-to-water heat pump
Halsskov (DK)

10.2 MW air-to-water heat pump

10 MW air-to-water heat pump
Slagelse (DK)

10 MW air-to-water heat pump

18 MW geothermal heat pump station
Skejby, Aarhus (DK)

18 MW geothermal heat pump station

1 MW biomass heat pump
Solrød (DK)

1 MW biomass heat pump

1.2 MW CO₂ heat pump
Solrød / Havdrup (DK)

1.2 MW CO₂ heat pump

2.5 MW wastewater heat pump
Frederikssund (DK)

2.5 MW wastewater heat pump

11,000 m² PTES lid solution
Høje Taastrup (DK)

11,000 m² PTES lid solution

2.5 MW heat pump system
Ørum (DK)

2.5 MW heat pump system

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ANY QUESTIONS?

FAQ

What does aalborg hc systems deliver?

aalborg hc systems designs and delivers integrated heating and cooling systems in new and existing networks.

This includes:

  • large-scale heat pumps
  • thermal energy storage (TES and PTES)
  • integration of multiple heat sources

The focus is on complete system solutions, not standalone technologies.

Can you integrate into existing district heating plants?

Yes. Most projects involve integration into existing infrastructure. aalborg hc systems connects new technologies to:

  • existing networks
  • boilers and CHP units
  • available heat sources

The result is a coordinated system upgrade, not a replacement of existing assets.

Do you act as EPC contractor?

Yes. aalborg hc systems delivers projects on an EPC basis.

This covers:

  • engineering and system design
  • procurement and supplier coordination
  • construction and commissioning

The responsibility remains with one party from concept to operation.

Which heat sources can you integrate?

aalborg hc systems integrates multiple heat sources within one system, including:

  • wastewater
  • geothermal energy
  • ambient air
  • industrial excess heat

Solutions are designed as source-agnostic systems, optimised for local conditions.

What do you need to get started?

A project can start with a limited set of data:

  • heat demand profile (load curve)
  • supply and return temperatures

Based on this, aalborg hc systems defines a first system concept and integration approach.