Heat pump at Utrecht sewage treatment plant
At the Utrecht sewage treatment plant, De Stichtse Rijnlanden Water Authority and Eneco are developing a heat pump that will enable the heat from the wastewater treated at the plant to be used effectively. When it is commissioned in 2022, the heat pump will supply approximately 15% of the total heat demand in our district heating network in Utrecht and Nieuwegein.
More about the heat pump
The Utrecht sewage treatment plant is located in the Utrecht neighbourhood of Overvecht. The old treatment plant was decommissioned and the new plant commissioned in May 2019. Every day, around 65 million litres of wastewater are treated at the plant. The wastewater that enters the plant is relatively warm because it is partly made up of shower water, hot tap water and water from dishwashers and washing machines. For this reason, even during a cold winter the temperature of the treated wastewater is 12 degrees, while in the summer it is 24 degrees. The residual heat from water is called aquathermal energy.
Planning for realisation of the heat pump
| Q1 2022 | Construction work to start on heat pump and building |
| Late 2023 | Heat pump operational |
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