World’s largest CO2-based seawater heat pump goes live in Esbjerg, Denmark

A groundbreaking CO₂-based seawater heat pump has been launched in Esbjerg, Denmark, marking a significant step in the city’s energy transition. With a total heating capacity of 70 MW, this facility is now the world’s largest CO₂-based heat pump. It will supply climate-neutral heat to the district heating networks of Esbjerg, meeting the heating needs of approximately 25,000 households. 

 

The plant uses seawater as a heat source and harnesses renewable energy from nearby wind farms. This initiative is part of a larger effort to replace the city’s coal-fired power plant, which has been decommissioned. The heat pump is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by about 120,000 tons annually, contributing to Esbjerg’s ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. 

The heat pump, supplied by MAN Energy Solutions, operates alongside a 60 MW wood chip boiler and a 40 MW electric boiler plant. CO₂ was chosen as the refrigerant because it is environmentally safe and enables rapid power balancing, which helps integrate intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind.

 

Read the latest IIR Technical Brief about heat pumps: Domestic heat pumps using hydrocarbons : current status and market overview in Europe.

 

Sources

https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/largest-co2-seawater-heat-pump-starts-up/

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/11/29/worlds-largest-co2-based-seawater-heat-pump-goes-online/