The impulse to conclude the Memorandum was also the starting of the SYNERGYS project. Among other technologies of the SYNERGYS project, experimental heat sources will be built, which could soon be used by the local heating plant to decarbonize this dominant heating source in Litoměřice. However, the cooperation aims to transfer innovations proven in practice to other locations in the Czech Republic and abroad. The Memorandum sets out specific activities to help transform the local district heating system (DHS) over the next few years to use cost-stable and locally available geothermal energy and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Academics not only from the Charles University Faculty of Science, but also from other important research institutions such as the Czech Geological Survey and the Czech Technical University, as well as institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, have been working on the development of this resource for a long time.
In connection with the signing of the Memorandum, we asked the Chairman of the Board of ENERGIE Holding a.s., engineer Jan Nechvátal (JN), several questions:
In what areas do you think the cooperation is most beneficial?
JN: For us, the results of the research that the Faculty of Science and its partners are carrying out in connection with geoenergy and other renewable sources are essential. The research is very demanding in terms of human and financial resources, which unfortunately the commercial sector does not have. On the other hand, the application of the research results in practice will enable their widespread use. Cooperation is therefore beneficial for both parties.
What is the strategy for the development and transformation of the centralised heat source in Litoměřice?
JN: The Litoměřice heating plant will stop burning coal at the turn of 2026/27 and will fully switch to renewable energy sources, mainly biomass. The transition from coal combustion to renewable sources requires significant investments of hundreds of millions of crowns. We hope that at least part of this expenditure could be covered by the subsidy from the State Environment Fund, which will provide funding for the transformation of the heating sector under the HEAT programme. Our expectation is that, thanks to the research being carried out at the RINGEN Centre within the SYNERGYS project, approximately 10 - 15% of the thermal energy needed for the DHS supply in Litoměřice could be provided from geothermal sources in the future.
Due to the research nature of the project, it cannot be determined in advance how much energy will be provided by the deep geothermal source. On a wide range of 0 - 8 MW, we have chosen a realistic option of 2 MW after consultation with researchers, which we will tentatively count on. We have more certainty for shallow but less abundant sources, which are underground heat storage BTES that store heat from the summer to the heating season. We are now working intensively with the CTU-UCEEB team to integrate this source, but it is not easy neither technologically nor financially.
What other concrete steps do you plan to take to achieve the objectives of the Memorandum?
JN: The first step will be to extend the DHS pipeline to the RINGEN site, where the individual demonstration heat sources are now being implemented and tested to enable their future connection to the grid. The sizing of the process interface will then depend on the temperature obtained from underground, which will adjust the temperature from the boreholes to a temperature suitable for heating and hot water production at a particular time of year.
Will the current heating pipelines be modernised in connection with the transition to renewable energy sources?
JN: Replacement and modernisation of the existing heat and hot water pipelines will take place continuously. Replacement is based on the results of non-destructive diagnostics using ultrasound or X-ray. Sufficient water treatment and minimisation of temperature shocks during use affect the life of the heat pipes. However, if they are made of quality materials, they can be used for decades. Of course, we focus on continuously reducing heat distribution losses.
In your opinion, what are the biggest obstacles for the development of DHS in Litoměřice and in the Czech Republic in general?
JN: In our legal environment, there is a lot of regulation in this area, which in conjunction with not always reasonably set operating, tax and subsidy conditions distorts the market environment. Heat and energy providers and technology suppliers are fighting a tough battle among themselves, which is unfortunately unequal due to legislative regulations that favour some of the players. This is, among other things, an obstacle to the development of DHS both in Litoměřice and throughout the country. Another problem of our energy sector is the difficulty in enforcing some legal regulations, prejudice and in some cases, unfortunately, incompetence. Another very real problem in the expansion of the heating system is the so-called NIMBY effect ("not in my backyard"), where people resist the placement of linear buildings in their neighbourhood, including hot water pipelines.
Where would you personally like to take the development of DHS?
JN: In addition to developing the DHS network and increasing the competitiveness of the heating plant on the market, I aim to stabilize the end-use heat consumption in Litoměřice. This is the only way to properly size the system and achieve its maximum efficiency. In cooperation with the city of Litoměřice, it is planned to connect other city buildings located within an accessible distance from the heat pipeline. By extending the pipeline towards the planned geothermal sources, the buildings of the Garden of Bohemia and the Jiří z Poděbrad barracks can also be connected to the DHS.
I would also like to change the reputation of the central heating system in the eyes of the public. The DHS should be perceived as a modern and progressive source of thermal energy, which, despite its roots in the communist era, has great justification even today and represents an advantage for Czech cities that cities in Western Europe do not have, and which are massively building DHS systems with large investments.
