New Elbe Heat Tunnel Completed
The Drilling for the Elbe Heat Tunnel Project is Completed, But Climate-Friendly Heat Isn't Flowin' Yet
The drilling for the new heat tunnel beneath the Elbe River in Hamburg is finished. After 1.165 meters, the tunnel-boring machine, nicknamed "Hermine," has reached its destination at the river's northern bank, according to Energiewerke Hamburg. However, the target shaft in Hindenburg Park is still flooded, so Hermine, which spans 280 meters, remains hidden. The water will be pumped out in the coming weeks. In early next year, Hermine will be excavated and removed from the tunnel.
A Crucial Component for Climate-Friendly Heat
"Hermine's arrival on the north bank of the Elbe is a truly special day for us," said Kirsten Fust, Technical Managing Director of Hamburg Energiewerke GmbH. The tunnel will be used to transport warm water from the Energy Park Hafen to northern Hamburg. It is part of the so-called South Link. This link is a key component of the Waermewende project, which focuses on climate-friendly heat sources[1].
The Climate-Friendly Heat is set to Flow under the Elbe from 2026
After Hermine is excavated and dismantled in early next year, the piping for both hot and cooled return water will be installed. By early 2026, climate-friendly heat from the Energy Park Hafen will flow into the northern side of the Elbe network. According to Fust, the heat will initially be only 55% climate-neutral.
The new Energy Park Hafen will contribute to this by utilizing waste heat from energy-intensive industries, thermal waste disposal, and water treatment processes[2][3]. The remaining 45% will be generated by a gas and steam turbine power plant (GuD), which provides flexibility and reliability. The GuD is also designed to use synthetic gases in the future, according to the Hamburg Energiewerke.
lun/dpa
Luna Baumann Dominguez
Luna Baumann Dominguez, born in 1996, is a fan of German Lop-eared rabbits. Her love for them has earned her several victories in her favorite card game, "Hens." Born in Mönchengladbach, she has moved 13 times. At the WDR in Cologne, she completed an internship in the Economics department. Her Bachelor in Communications Studies was primarily motivated by her desire to work at the University Radio in Münster. There, she founded the feminist radio show "Equals" and interviewed reggae musicians. When one of the drummers kept the French television waiting for her at a Dub Inc concert in Paris, it became clear that the people in the Ruhr Area, with their heartfelt, straightforward personality, would miss her already. Nickname: lun
- Luna Baumann Dominguez:[4][5][6][7]
Footnotes:
[1] "Hamburg's Green and Sustainable Future," Stadt Hamburg https://www.hamburg.de/umwelt/klimaschutz/umsetzung/aktuell/index.html
[2] "Hamburg Climate Change Adaptation Strategy," Stadt Hamburg https://www.hamburg.de/umwelt/klima/klimafreundliche-entwicklung/aktuell/index.html
[3] "Hamburg Energiewerke GmbH," Hamburg Energiewerke https://www.energie-hamburg.de/
[4] "The Die Friedhof Ohlsdorf - Graveyard or Park?" by Luna Baumann Dominguez, Unserer Website, September 2021, https://unsere Website/articles/friedhof-ohlsdorf
[5] "Flinta on the Decks: Same Stage for All" by Luna Baumann Dominguez, Unserer Website, June 2021, https://unsere Website/articles/flinta
[6] "The Finken Will Take Flight" by Luna Baumann Dominguez, Unserer Website, May 2021, https://unsere Website/articles/finken
[7] "A Day at the Elite School of Sports" by Luna Baumann Dominguez, Unserer Website, April 2021, https://unsere Website/articles/eliteschule-des-sports
- The Elbe Heat Tunnel Project, though completed, will remain inaccessible until the flood of the target shaft in Hindenburg Park is drained, marking a crucial step towards the transportation of climate-friendly heat from the Energy Park Hafen using renewable energy sources.
- Upon the installation of piping for both hot and cooled return water next year, warming the Elbe network with climate-friendly heat from the Energy Park Hafen is anticipated to begin in early 2026, with an initial 55% neutral carbon footprint.
- The Energy Park Hafen, featuring the use of waste heat from energy-intensive industries and thermal waste disposal, will eventually contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the heat source, with the remaining 45% generated by a flexible and reliable gas and steam turbine power plant, designed for future use of synthetic gases.
