MAN Energy, Vicinity Partner to Reduce Boston Emissions with Steam Heat Pump Project

MAN Energy Solutions and Vicinity Energy agreed to develop a pump project to accelerate Boston’s urban decarbonization, which builds upon 2023’s plan to supply a low-temperature heat source to generate steam for district energy applications. MAN Energy will deliver a 35-MW industrial-scale steam heat pump for installation at Vicinity’s Kendall Station in Cambridge, MA, utilizing climate-neutral thermal energy from the Charles River.

“This marks a milestone in advancing urban decarbonization through our continued partnership with MAN Energy Solutions to develop a 35-MW heat pump complex to produce eSteam,” said Kevin Hagerty, President and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “The strong customer demand for carbon-free district energy reflects the urgency of transitioning to sustainable solutions. District energy electrification is an efficient, economical pathway to decarbonize cities, and this project represents a step toward that goal."

The system will produce high-pressure, low-carbon steam—otherwise known as eSteam—to customers on Boston’s district energy network, while replacing fossil fuel-based systems on the grid. Serving as a potential model for large-scale urban decarbonization, the river-source heat pump complex is slated to become the largest installation of its kind in the United States by 2028.

Signing for memorandum of understanding; image credit: MAN Energy Solutions

“This collaboration embodies the future of sustainable energy,” said Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions. “MAN Energy Solutions' mission to decarbonize industries’ CO₂ emissions aligns with Vicinity Energy’s vision for a cleaner, greener urban energy system. Together, we are setting new benchmarks for reducing CO₂ emissions in urban heating and advancing climate action in the United States.”

MAN Energy News

In early December, Bonatti and MAN Energy Solutions signed a contract to build and maintain EDF PEI’s new Ricanto bioenergy power plant in Corsica. Replacing the old Le Vazzio plant in late 2027 or early 2028, the new facility will feature eight 18V51/60 engines with a total capacity of 130 MW, supplying power to the Corsican electrical grid. Under the contract, MAN PrimeServ will conduct maintenance over a 25-year period, including:

• Provision for spare parts
• Major maintenance services
• Technical services
• Training modules for EDF-PEI employees

MAN Energy’s after-sales brand currently provides maintenance for numerous plants owned by EDF-PEI—a subsidiary of Électricité de France SA that constructs and operates power generation facilities in French foreign regions, including Corsica.

Also in December, 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. 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