Plans for a spectacular project south of Graz: a basalt quarry in the municipality of Wildon is to store hot water, which can cover up to a quarter of Graz’s district heating needs. Costs: over 200 million euros!
It has always been a hot topic: how to secure the supply of district heating for the provincial capital of Graz? About 75 percent of the heat still comes from fossil sources, such as the gas-fired power station in Mellach or the oil-fired thermal power station in Graz’s Puchstrasse.
However, by 2035, district heating must come exclusively from renewable sources. A mega project could emerge on the border of the districts of Leibnitz and Graz-Umwelt to achieve this goal. In concrete terms, 50 percent of each hot water must be generated by large solar collectors and biomass heating systems and heat pumps, which is then stored under cover in the up to 40-metre-deep open basalt quarry in Weitendorf.
Mining would stop
This is owned by the entrepreneur Heimo Ecker-Eckhofen, basalt mining would be stopped. Partner is the company F-Energies from Gilbert Frizberg (Hereschwerke). The dense basalt stone is designed to prevent heat loss. Hardly any further fieldwork is required and the groundwater remains untouched, they say.
Line to Mellach necessary
But how does district heating get to Graz? Well, a 3.5 kilometer line to Mellach is planned where it would be fed into the existing network. Energy Styria can be won as a customer.
The total cost of the project would amount to more than 200 million euros! The entrepreneurs have already applied for funding from the Ministry of Climate Protection.
Landowners must agree
The project must be completed within five years. Initial talks have been held with the communities of Wildon and Dobl-Zwaring, the property owners whose areas are leased to the collectors will be invited to an information meeting.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
