Germany to build ‘huge thermos’ to help heat homes this winter

WORLD  03 July 2022 - 07:31

Heating company Vattenfall is building Germany's largest heat storage tank with a capacity of 56 million litres of coolant at the Reuter West power plant in Berlin.

The construction will be launched in April next year, RBC reports with reference to the company.

The accumulator will store water heated to 98 degrees, if necessary, this heat can be released. The location of the thermal reservoir on the site of the power plant will allow the use of excess energy, Vattenfall noted, since other nearby heat sources can also be connected to the storage.

In July, the filling of the storage will begin, it will take about two months. The company estimates that 56 million litres correspond to the volume of 350,000 baths. The height of the reservoir is 45 m, and the diameter is 43 m.

“With a thermal capacity of 200 megawatts, the storage can provide heat for 13 hours even in very cold weather,” explained Tanya Welgoss, head of Vattenfall Germany, noting that the thermal reservoir will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The Washington Post writes that the cost of the project was €50 million, and the capacity of 200 megawatts should be enough to provide 10% of Berlin's needs for hot water during the cold season.

Senator Bettina Jarash, responsible for climate issues, noted that Berlin, due to its geographical location, is more dependent on Russian fuel than other parts of Germany.

"That's why we're really rushing here," the Associated Press quoted her as saying.

Caliber.Az