Europe’s largest river water heat pump has reached a major milestone: the project has now entered the main construction stage at the Cologne-Niehl site. The 150 MW plant, delivered by Everllence as the EPC contractor, will provide climate-neutral district heating to approximately 50 000 households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 100 000 tons annually. Construction activities on site are now accelerating and manufacturing of key components at Everllence’s production facilities is already well advanced. Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for 2028.
Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO of Everllence, said: “Cities across Germany are facing the challenge of decarbonising their heat supply while ensuring both security of supply and economic viability. As a result, the project in Cologne is attracting considerable attention. The fact that all necessary permits have now been granted confirms both the technical and regulatory feasibility of our technology. RheinEnergie is taking a pioneering role with this project. We are now entering the decisive phase of implementation and, together, will demonstrate how climate-neutral district heating can be realised successfully on an industrial scale.”
“Our project in Cologne-Niehl demonstrates how climate protection, security of supply, and affordability can be combined,” asserted Andreas Feicht, CEO of RheinEnergie. “The start of the main implementation phase marks another important step towards our goal of providing climate-neutral heat supply for Cologne.”
The large-scale heat pump system will use water from the Rhine river as its energy source. Ammonia will serve as the refrigerant, circulating within a closed-loop system.
With a heating capacity of 150 MW, the installation will be the largest river-water heat pump in Europe. The system consists of three large-scale heat pump modules, each providing 50 MW of heating capacity.
Everllence is responsible for the project as EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor. To date, around 180 Everllence employees have contributed to planning, engineering, manufacturing, and project preparation activities, the company noted.
Manufacturing of the three integrally geared compressors – which can be seen as the core of the plant – is already at an advanced stage. The gearbox and additional components are being produced in Berlin, while the remaining key components and final compressor assembly are taking place in Oberhausen. The scope of supply also includes a digital service package from Everllence PrimeServ, providing real-time monitoring and analysis of operating data to support reliable and efficient long-term plant operation.
Mikael Adler, head of sales and project management heat pumps at Everllence, explained: “The expertise we have gained through heat pump projects around the world is directly feeding into the implementation of this project in Cologne. At the same time, we are working closely with RheinEnergie to ensure that our technology is optimally tailored to the requirements of Cologne’s district heating network. With the progress achieved so far, we are well on track to deliver this flagship project successfully”
With the start of the main construction phase, work will now focus on the erection of the facility’s buildings and technical infrastructure, with successful execution requiring close co-ordination among numerous contractors and project partners.
Alexander Stöckler, head of sales, tendering & project management, power segment at Everllence, said: “With the transition into the main construction phase, Europe’s largest river-water heat pump is becoming reality step by step. As EPC contractor, we are responsible for implementation across all project phases and will ensure that the individual components and systems come together to form a high-performance and sustainable overall solution for Cologne’s future heat supply.”
Everllence already has extensive experience in the delivery of large-scale heat pump projects. In Esbjerg, Denmark, a seawater heat pump system is already providing climate-friendly district heating to around 100 000 residents. In Aalborg, Denmark, Everllence is also currently constructing what will become the world’s largest seawater-based mega heat pump, with a heating capacity of 177 MW.
