Rostock is planning a revolutionary earth basin heat storage system to save heating costs

Rostock is planning a revolutionary earth basin heat storage system to save heating costs

The city of Rostock is completely committed to the heating transition and is thinking big! A completely new project is on the agenda: the construction of an earth basin heat storage facility. A feasibility study is currently being examined around the seaport with the aim of making sensible use of waste heat and thus reducing heating costs. The Danish neighbor shows how it's done, because they've already made further progress when it comes to heat storage NDR reported.

The citizens of Rostock have approved the feasibility study, which is worth up to 221,000 euros, half of which will be covered by the federal government. The proposed area is located east of the Warnow and currently belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but will be purchased by the city. The new storage facility, similar to the one already in operation in Meldorf, will be lined with an insulating film and filled with water. The waste heat, heated up to 90 degrees over several months, could then be made available over the winter.

Long-term goals and challenges

Rostock has big plans: the heat supply should be climate-neutral by 2035. How BDEW reported, a comprehensive heat plan was adopted as early as 2022. Rostock was one of the first major cities in Germany to embark on this path. However, the transformation process will not happen overnight. It is a long-term effort that requires massive investments totaling an estimated 1.4 billion euros.

Measures that have already been implemented, such as heat storage and a power-to-heat system, show that we are taking action. But the path to climate neutrality by 2035 is seen as bumpy. The municipal utilities not only have to guarantee a secure energy supply, but also keep an eye on the prices for citizens. The planned large-scale heat pump, which will use waste heat from the Bramow sewage treatment plant, is another step in the right direction.

On the way to the first storage commissioning

The construction of the earth basin heat storage facility in Rostock is estimated to cost around 6 million euros and the construction time is estimated to be one year. Under the current framework conditions, the aim is to commission the first storage facility by 2030 at the latest. This is part of a plan that calls for up to four such storage facilities for the city to use waste heat more efficiently. This means that the waste heat from a newly planned data center in Rostock could not only support households in winter, but also provide lasting “warming” support for the city.

Political support in the form of reliable framework conditions is essential to promote investments in renewable energies and achieve the major goal of climate neutrality. It is very clear: in order to meet growing needs and make a real contribution to the energy transition, everyone must pull together.