Agreement on the use of the road signed

The town of Linden and SWG are laying the groundwork for the further expansion of district heating.

Local or district heating is a sensible alternative to a self-operated heating system for many property owners. Such solutions – particularly those provided by Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) – are particularly advantageous when it comes to complying with current and future regulations. This is because the heating experts based on Lahnstraße in Gießen now have over four decades of experience in this field. Those in charge at the town of Linden – and, above all, numerous customers – have long appreciated this expertise. After all, SWG already supplies heating to over 70 properties in Großen-Linden and more than 50 flats in Leihgestern.

To ensure the further expansion of district heating in the future, the town of Linden and SWG have renewed the right-of-way agreement. It grants SWG the right to lay the necessary pipes within the town of Linden over the next 20 years.

And that is precisely what is happening at the moment. As part of the forthcoming renewal of a heat generator, SWG’s experts have devised a plan to merge two closely situated networks – the one on Wiesenberger Ring and the one on Mittelweg and Jahnstraße – into a single network. “The larger the network, the more efficiently heat can be produced,” says Thomas Wagner, who is responsible for municipal relations at SWG, explaining the rationale behind the merger.

Prepared for the future

Bringing together previously independent, isolated systems is a typical approach when expanding a district heating network. In fact, Giessen’s already highly extensive district heating network was also developed in the same way. “To connect the two networks in Großen-Linden, we need to lay around 350 metres of pipework. On top of that, there’s another 110 metres or so to connect the new heating plant,” calculates Thomas Wagner.

For this very heating plant, SWG has acquired a plot of land situated in a “priority area for residential development”. From here, SWG will be able to supply heat to the industrial estate – the planning of which was recently approved in principle – located between the motorway and the cemetery, as well as, in the future, to a residential area to the south of it. “Naturally, we’ll be using the most efficient technologies for generation and distribution. With the help of the right-of-way agreement, we are opening up opportunities – for residents in the developed streets, for businesses setting up in Linden, and, last but not least, for the town,” explains Matthias Funk, a member of the SWG board, highlighting a further advantage. This is because the cooperation with SWG enables the town’s decision-makers to include district heating in their Municipal Heating Plan, which they must submit by 30 June 2028. “In SWG, we have a strong partner at our side whose expertise in heating we can rely on. We see district heating as a great opportunity – for the town and the people who live here,” explains Mayor Fabian Wedemann on the occasion of the contract signing.

Convenient and safe

Since the introduction of the Building Energy Act, strict regulations have applied to the operation of heating systems. Whilst its successor, the Building Modernisation Act, relaxes these requirements in one or two respects, the fundamental principle remains that heating systems must gradually become more climate-friendly. This is precisely why district heating remains an attractive option. Those who use it do not have to worry about ensuring their heating system complies with regulations by the deadline. “Our heating customers can sit back and relax. Because we take care of that for them,” summarises SWG board member Andreas Hergaß.