MAN Energy Installs, Operates Largest Seawater Heat Pump at Danish Plant
The CO2-based seawater heat pump operates with a wood chip boiler and electric boiler plant to provide heat year-round.
MAN Energy Solutions’ industrial-scale seawater heat pump was commissioned and began operation at DIN Forsyning’s heat pump plant in Esbjerg, Denmark, which supplies approximately 280,000 MWh of heat per year to local district heating networks. The CO2-based heat pump system has a 70-MW total heating capacity and operates in tandem with a 60-MW wood chip boiler and 40-MW electric boiler plant—a peak and backup load facility.
The plant utilizes renewable energy from regional wind farms and seawater as a heat source, delivering heat to 25,000 households and reducing CO2 emissions by 120,000 tons annually. The pump-driven plant aligns with Esbjerg’s aim to reach climate neutrality by 2030, transitioning the city’s coal-fired power plant that recently ended operations.
“This is a significant milestone that we have anticipated for a long time,” said Helle Damm-Henrichsen, Managing Director of DIN Forsyning. “From now on, all our customers in Varde and Esbjerg will benefit from district heating directly sourced by the North Sea. This achievement is not only transformative for DIN Forsyning but also a step forward for the climate. While we may be in western Jutland, I believe it’s fair to call this a world premiere: the world’s largest CO2-based seawater heat pump is now producing heat.”
Seawater Heat Pump & Plant
MAN Energy’s heat pump system supports intermittent power generation, like solar and wind, by quickly balancing power transmitted to the electrical grid. The system also features fast reaction capability, and it can be switched on and off multiple times per day. DIN Forsyning leverages the pump’s non-toxic and environmentally safe CO2—the system’s refrigerant—to ensure clean operation near the Wadden Sea.
Mega Heat Pump at Esbjerg plant; image credit: MAN Energy Solutions
“I’m proud that our mega heat pump is now providing climate-neutral heat to the people of Esbjerg and Varde,” said Dr. Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions. “Esbjerg demonstrates how urban heating systems can be reshaped by harnessing renewable energy sources. Utilizing industrial-scale heat pumps to deliver sustainable heating is not just a technological achievement but a blueprint for other cities worldwide as they transition to greener energy systems.”
The technology features two basic principles:
- Electrical energy raises low-temperature thermal energy to usable levels
- For every MWh of electrical energy, about three MWh of thermal energy can be generated
DIN Forsyning’s plant is equipped with two oil-free, hermitically sealed HOFIM motor-compressors that use high-speed motors and active magnetic bearings, minimizing maintenance requirements. These units and auxiliary systems will be integrated with remote monitoring, data analytics, and diagnostics.
MAN Energy News
In late October 2024, MAN Energy Solutions launched the AmmoniaMot2 research project with assistance from industry and research institutes. The project will develop a four-stroke, medium-speed, dual-fuel test engine that operates on ammonia. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and began in August 2024 with a running schedule of three and a half years.
The project succeeds the AmmoniaMot initiative, which conducted investigations regarding ammonia combustion in internal-combustion engines, ending in May 2024. AmmoniaMot 2 is kicking off with new partners, including: WTZ Roßlau GmbH, Woodward L’Orange GmbH, the University of Munich, Neptun Ship Design GmbH, the University of Rostock, GenSys GmbH, and MNR GmbH.
