Villach relies on sustainable district heating from sewage treatment plants

Villach relies on sustainable district heating from sewage treatment plants

The city of Villach takes great steps towards a more sustainable heat supply. The focus is on the use of waste heat - an energy source that is often neglected because it comes from processes that take place anyway. In order to efficiently cover the increasing demand for district heating, an agreement between the city of Villach and Kelag Energie & Warmth (KEW) was made, which aims to use the sewage of the sewage treatment plant in St. Agathen as a heat source.

The sewage treatment plant, which is one of the largest in Austria and is designed for 250,000 people, offers enormous potential for heat production. Mayor Günther Albel explains that a sustainable heat source can be opened up by using the sewage treatment plant. The detailed planning of this initiative could begin in 2026, whereby preliminary examinations and technical evaluations are currently being carried out.

heat pumps as the heart of the concept

Central to the concept will be heat pumps that serve to make the waste heat effectively usable for district heating. Adolf Melcher and Christoph Herzeg from the KEW management emphasize that the next steps will depend on the results of the pre-tests. If these are positive, the corresponding plans could be concretized in the near future.

Already in the sewage treatment plant by a combined heat and power plant and photovoltaic systems, almost 80 percent of the required electricity is produced itself. The integration of the heat contained in the waste water could further increase energy efficiency and even lead to an energy -sufficient operation of the sewage treatment plant.