Danish quality & design since 1921
Berlin energy company BTB GmbH faced a challenge when its heating capacity had to support two new residential areas. The solution was a decentralised plug-and-play pumping station from Priess, which delivers the required capacity at half the price. It was a real breakthrough in the German market for the Danish company.
District heating company BTB Berlin had to supply heat to two new residential areas on the periphery of their district heating network. Pressure had to be increased to provide the necessary capacity and a stable supply to the new residential areas of Köpenick Nord and Wasserstadt Spindlersfeld.
“We needed to supply 3.5 MW to the two new residential areas located on the periphery of our district heating network. So it was essential we were able to increase both the forward and return pressure,” says Martin Loske, Diploma Engineer at BTB-Berlin. The German engineers found their solution in Denmark.
The solution was a plug-and-play pumping station from Priess A/S, located in Vinderup between Skive and Holstebro, and consisted of a customised technical cabin with a booster system of two 100% pumps, i.e. redundant pumps to ensure security of supply. They each deliver 135m3/h and a pressure of 4 bar.
The solution also includes flow and energy measurement in the return line, all with a PLC controller that communicates with BTB Berlin’s central control and monitoring system (SRO).
The pumping station was delivered fully assembled, transported by truck from Vinderup, and installed on a foundation slab in just a few hours in Rudower Strasse in the Köpenick district, where it was subsequently connected to the district heating network. The technical cabin itself has a modest footprint with dimensions of 6000 x 3400 x 2800 mm (L x W x H).
“This is a real breakthrough for us in the German market,” says Carsten Skov, Market and Business Development Manager at Priess, adding: “Our plug-and-play pumping stations reduce investment needs, have a short payback time (ROI), reduce energy consumption and save carbon emissions, and the Germans are responding positively to this.”
The plan at BTB GmbH was to build a traditional concrete pumping station with a foundation wall. But Priess needed to think on their feet and come up with an innovative solution fast. Priess was able to deliver and install a complete plug-and-play solution in just 6 months with an excellent price/performance ratio.
“Priess took care of the entire planning phase and installation. It happened quickly with lots of momentum, and Priess took care of all the practicalities. A great experience all-in-all,” says engineer Martin Loske.
“Meanwhile, the energy required to pump the hot water around the system is reduced because the pressure increase with the decentralised pumping station only occurs where it is needed, thus helping our customers to make significant financial savings. The solution for the new German customer is the result of an experience and know-how gained over 30 years as a supplier to Danish district heating,” adds Carsten.
According to Carsten, the delivery of the pumping station is also the result of excellent sales work and a joint Danish effort to get Germans to use district heating as part of the green transition. Equally important were the strong references in the form of similar plug-and-play pumping stations at Danish district heating companies, with documented savings of millions of kroner in both construction and operation.
There is a major potential to develop district heating in Germany, which currently only supplies 14 % of households. The corresponding figure in Denmark is 65 %.
In the large state of Baden Württemberg, a new climate law has just been passed that requires mandatory heat planning in 103 cities with a total of 5 million inhabitants. Cities need to find green alternatives to fossil fuels, and district heating is a potential key player.
That’s why the Danish Energy Agency and the Danish Embassy in Berlin have been working with the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy for the past three years to share their experiences of the heating sector’s green transition.
Priess A/S is a traditional Danish company with roots dating back to 1921. Since its foundation, the company has become one of Denmark’s leading suppliers of a wide range of infrastructure products for the utility segment within drinking water, wastewater, district heating, broadband, electricity, etc.
The company offers both standard and customised solutions, where Priess A/S ensures that it meets all individual needs and wishes. Our (turnkey) solutions with fully assembled cabinets that are ready to connect on site are highly sought after.
Priess A/S employs 150 people in Vinderup, across production, sales, administration, planning and development/technical departments.
The company is firmly anchored in its local community and proud both of its West Jutland values and the strong social responsibility it takes in the local area. The company has a loyal workforce with many years of seniority, helping to ensure that the special Priess spirit lives on.
