Feasibility Study – Utilization of Waste Heat from Lake- , Mining- Water and Industrial Waste Heat

Location: Profen, Germany

Services: As-built status and data recording, Solution development / Feasibility studies

Industry Branch/Type of Plant: Green Energy

Client: MIBRAG GmbH

Activity period: 09/2024-01/2025

Tasks

As part of the decarbonization of the district heating supply in Profen, MIBRAG GmbH is evaluating a concept for the use of a large-scale heat pump system.
In future, the heat-pump- system should be part of the new low-carbon heat supply, together with a power-to-heat (PtH) plant and a large-scale thermal energy storage system.
Potential heat sources include mining- water, lake- water as well as industrial waste heat.

Project description

INP got the contract to assess the technical and economic feasibility, compare different plant concepts, and establish a robust basis for further planning.
INP’s task was to design a comprehensive preliminary technical assessment of the feasibility of a heat pump system utilizing multiple potential heat sources. Especially included was the analysis of switching between various heat sources , the use of natural refrigerants, and operating strategies under fluctuating source temperatures.
The integration into existing and planned systems such as PtH units and thermal energy storage required a detailed technical conceptual coordination. A particular challenge was the development of multiple concept variants while taking site-specific conditions as well as the special energy efficiency requirements for this plant.