Heat pumps

Six local heating centres show a viable path to district heating in small towns

10. July 2025
Six local heating centres show a viable path to district heating in small towns

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Aalborg CSP has been awarded a turnkey EPC contract to design and build six heating centres for Helle Energi — demonstrating how district heating can be deployed cost-effectively in smaller communities.

OUR IMPACT

We have secured a contract to deliver six local heating centres in Varde Municipality, Denmark. The project will connect around 1,300 households across six towns to district heating, replacing natural gas with a centralised, lower-emission solution.

The assignment covers full EPC delivery, including design, construction and integration of the heating centres. Each site will be tailored to local demand, combining heat pumps, peak load capacity and control systems into a unified setup.

The project addresses a key barrier in the energy transition: how to make district heating viable in smaller towns with limited density. Rather than scaling down standard solutions, the approach is based on precise system design and cost alignment with local needs.

We believe that this type of decentralised rollout can be replicated in similar municipalities — provided that planning, sizing and stakeholder coordination are handled carefully from the outset.

The project is being developed in close collaboration with Helle Energi, a newly established utility. The process has focused on transparency, cost control and alignment between technical design and consumer expectations—factors that are increasingly critical as public confidence in district heating projects varies.

WHY IT MATTERS

District heating expansion is often challenged by cost and complexity in low-density areas.
 This project shows that small-scale heating centres can be delivered at a viable price point when systems are designed to fit local demand.

 

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
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8.260 m² PTES lid solution

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10 MW air-to-water heat pump
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18 MW geothermal heat pump station
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18 MW geothermal heat pump station

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1 MW biomass heat pump

1.2 MW CO₂ heat pump
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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

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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.