Giant heat accumulator for the central heating system under construction in Berlin

The Swedish energy company Vattenfall is currently building Germany’s largest heat accumulator for a district heating system in Berlin.

It is a steel tank with a height of 45 meters and a volume of 56 million liters. It will accumulate water with a temperature of 98 degrees Celsius. Electricity from renewable sources will be used to heat water (this approach is called “power to heat”). Thus, the storage will also act as a kind of buffer for the energy system, helping to integrate the growing volumes of electricity generated from wind and solar. During periods of excess generation of renewable energy power plants, the “surplus” can be directed to heat the coolant.

The facility, which is being built on the site of the Reuter-West power plant, is due to enter service in April 2023.

The system will use partially desalinated and degassed water to reduce wear on the Berlin city heating network.

Similar projects are being implemented in other regions and countries. They are seen as a “simple and practical” solution to a dual-task: decarbonizing the heat supply system and optimizing the integration of renewable energy into the energy system.

I would like to thank Dan Kreibich and the rest of the SQUAKE team for the help.