Priorities for energy transformation in downtown Zagreb – seeing development after the 2020 earthquake

Croatia, April 24, 2020 | Comments: 0 Author: Igor Todorović

Photo: Slavin Starjar from Pixabay

Chair of Energy and Energy Management in the Energy, Energy and Environmental Engineering Department (Faculty of Mechanical and Marine Engineering, University of Zagreb) and the Regional Energy Agency of Northwest Croatia – REGEA

The earthquake of March 22, 2020 caused severe damage to the city center of Zagreb, mostly with the collapse of chimneys, and took with it parts of the roofs and facades. Damage disproportionately above the tremor strength. Moreover, most of the central area of ​​Donji Grad became uninhabitable, as there was no longer supplies of gas. This means that heating is impossible.

How do you respond to the challenge? Does it require an investment aimed at returning to its former state or can we think of a new, better solution?

The cost of rebuilding the chimney is estimated to be at least 25,000 SEK (3000 euros), and may include the costs of a condensation boiler for those who do not have now, while a good share of chimneys will need to adapt to gas condensation boilers at a rate of 5,000 crowns per heater.

“The earthquake destroyed about 10,000 chimneys, so it temporarily stopped heating in a third of the buildings in the city center. Since natural gas is fossil fuel, it will be removed by 2040 from the European Union heating system, which means it is now time to introduce a new heating system in re Reconstruction in the city, and central heating will be “the best so far”, according to Professor Nevin Dweik of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Zagreb and Marine Engineering.

Gas has no future in the European Union without carbon

Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Its production, transportation and use cause greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Natural gas should mostly be excluded from heating by 2040 at the latest

According to the pathway corresponding to a 1.5 ° C rise in temperature, mostly natural gas should be excluded from heating by 2040 at the latest. This means that we consider natural gas to be just what is called transitional fuel and that it has no place in the energy future of the European Union in heating. Since the gas equipment is about 20 years old and about to be excluded before the end of 2040, investments in gas must now be very prudent and limited.

European Union heating and cooling strategy

The European Union has recognized in its heating and cooling strategy that central heating systems (CHS) are an optional technical solution for densely populated urban areas as it is easy to remove carbon from CHS using waste heat as well as geothermal and solar energy. By all means, it is also necessary to invest in improving energy and statistics in structures.

Zagreb Center heating project

The government of the Republic of Croatia and the city of Zagreb must define a common concept for reconstruction as soon as possible for the area devastated by the earthquake. It is an unprecedented national project but also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a leap forward. Therefore, it is proposed to expand the central heating network to the areas of Gradji and Grad Donji in the renovation project.

The heating pipeline must be driven on the streets of Grad Donji and Grange Grange (now it is on the edge of Doge Grad). Installations should be placed vertically in the buildings and establish thermal stations in each apartment. The ideal place for a thermal plant is the place where the gas boilers are located, where it is the place where the central heating installation enters with the hot water feeding tube. In the absence of central heating in the apartment, the system must be installed.

The investment in the channels that pass under the streets should be public, and the pipes expenditures placed vertically in the buildings and heating stations can be optimally divided, and the tenants can pay part of the burden through future heating bills

Which part of the investment should be covered by public funds and which individual is allocated? Certainly the investment in channels that pass under the streets must be general, the expenditures of pipes placed vertically in buildings and heating stations can be optimally divided, and tenants can pay part of the burden through future heating bills. Support must be secured for a large portion of the costs of potential repairs and expansion of the central heating system and hot water supply. Such an approach is suggested for all buildings that are subject to any major reconstruction or new projects.

For buildings that do not require significant renovation before people return to them, the plan must include a transitional solution in the form of condensation boilers. If this is not possible, then electric heaters are the alternative, but with the possibility of converting to CHS as soon as possible and at least by 2040.

What do we suggest?

We have a solution to the chimney problem, directly and partially in stages. There will always be danger in the earthquake-prone area on which Zagreb was built. We have a solution to the issue of decarbonization and an open possibility for a valuable investment cycle. Zagreb is also located on vast geothermal resources – it can meet its future heating needs. The proposal includes a high-quality heating system in the center of Zagreb, which depends on local energy sources and reduces dependence on energy imports.

Zagreb lies on vast geothermal resources – it can meet its heating needs

In order to have a sustainable and secure energy supply in the long term in the central region of Zagreb, a heating pipeline is needed. Picture 1 shows the possible distribution of this network, in green, and its ability to connect to the current network, in blue. The proposed network is just one of the possible options – in this configuration, its total length is 17.4 km, and the formation costs can range from 15 to 19 million euros. The downtown area is characterized by an exceptionally high density of buildings and thus a matching demand for heating, which makes it ideal for implementing this technology. Picture 2 shows the demand for heating in Zagreb, the planned blue and white heating and steam lines, and the proposal to expand the grid to Donji grad, in green.

Picture 1: The proposed expansion of the central heating system in the Dongi area

Can we fund it?

The potential source of funding for the preparation phase (study and design documents) can be found in the competitive objective and cohesion of Operational Program (OPCC) 4c3. The specific stated objective focuses specifically on increasing efficiency in central heating. The amount required to fund the project can be found with minimal changes to the project selection criteria and a redistribution of the total allocations to the above objective.

Picture 2: Demand for heating in Donny Grad and Gorenje and the current and planned distribution of heat and steam lines

The funds needed to reach the target for their use have been visualized through the Integrated Regional Investment Tool (ITI), which is already being applied to the lands of the urban agglomerations in Zagreb. At the level of the Republic of Croatia, the full allocation of 4c3 (80 million euros) can be redistributed within the ITI mechanism.

Picture 2: Demand for heating in Donny Grad and Gorenje and the current and planned distribution of heat and steam lines

It is also possible to use funds from technical assistance (specific goal 10) or to combine both of the specific objectives. The co-financing share must then be determined and the project can be funded by HEP Toplinarstvo, the district heating system operator.

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