Well-equipped for the future – wbg residential complex “Nordbahnhof” successfully connected to the district heating network

The goal of a 10-year cooperative project between N-ERGIE and wbg was to utilize district heating instead of natural gas. The project has now been successfully completed: 1,027 residences and two day care centres in the “Nordbahnhof” residential complex have been supplied fully by the N-ERGIE district heating network since late 2022.

Conversion of the 21 heating systems with a total connected value of 5 megawatts started in 2012 on Cranachstraße and Grünewaldstraße. Additional heating systems were converted step by step each year before the cold season. These include buildings on Burgkmairstraße, Schäufeleinstraße, Riemenschneiderstraße, Pleydenwurffstraße, Harrichstraße and Pilotystraße, as well as Am Nordring.

The district heating connection means the households and daycare centres at Nordbahnhof will be supplied with efficient and environmentally-friendly heat for indoor heating and hot water preparation. According to the current Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz - GEG), the conversion saves around 2,100 tons of CO2 each year.

Connecting the wbg residential districts is part of the wbg corporate group climate strategy, with the goal of making existing buildings climate neutral.

N-ERGIE was able to connect further properties outside of the wbg residential complex up to the residential development in the former Tucher area with district heat, thanks to the newly installed district heating network.

90 percent of district heating in Nuremberg comes from the heating plant in Nuremberg-Sandreuth. Today, around 30 percent of district heat already comes from non-fossil fuel based sources. To make district heating CO2 neutral for people in Nuremberg, the percentage of renewable energy sources will be increased step by step. The two existing gas turbines in the heating plant were replaced in 2022 with two new gas turbines (2 x 56 MW) which are ready for hydrogen energy (H2-ready). Beyond its intention to utilise hydrogen, N-ERGIE is working toward a mix of wood recycling, large heating pumps and bioenergy. In addition, N-ERGIE is currently investigating whether geothermal heat can be used in Nuremberg as well as an environmentally-friendly energy source.

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