French Heat Networks

Statistical survey conducted by a working group from the Observatoire de l'Énergie (Energy Observatory) and the Comité national de chauffage urbain (CNCU - National Committee for District Heating.)

Coordinator: M.A. Semik

Abstract

In 1993 for the ninth consecutive year, the CNCU, as a professional organization recognised by the Ministry for Industry, carried out a statistical survey about heat networks in France, in particular concerning their energy consumption and the amount of heat sold in 1992. The statistics clearly show the changes in district heating activities. The data processed thus show the development of district heating towards heat recovery (use of waste to energy and low grade fuels) and the development of cogeneration.

The survey is published using the same format as previous years. For the fifth year, data is supplied concerning cogeneration, for which district heating plants, in particular those links to Domestic Waste Incineration Plants (Usines d'incinération des ordures ménagères - UIOM) constitute an area particularly suitable for development.

The national heat network survey is a recent activity. In accordance with the ministerial decree of 29 February 1984, the survey is conducted by the CNCU for the Industrial Statistics Service of the Ministry for Industry (Service des statistiques industrielles, Ministère de l'industrie - SESSI). It is regulated by the law of 7 June 1951 obliging the compilation and coordination of the confidential industrial statistics. The results are consequently published per adminstrative area, or for the country as a whole. On no account can individual statistics be published.

Network Characteristics and Development

No changes have occurred in the definition of a heat network or in the areas covered by the survey since 1984. Several difficulties of interpretation were encountered initially as a result of the diversity of the network management companies being dealt with, whcih party explaims the change in the number of networks used in the survey. The other major cause of change is the development of heat networks using geothermal energy, heat recovery from domestic waste incineration plants or industrial waste heat, the installation of networks with conventional heating plants having virtually ceased.

Contents of the Survey

The survey covers groups, bodies or companies which own or manage heat distribution installations, in whole or in part.

It does not, however, include projects with capacity of less than 3.5 MW or projects involving only one user, who is also the owner of the network and heat source.

These exclusions do not apply to projects supplied by industrial waste heat, domestic waste incineration or geothermal heat, for which an exhaustive survey of operating projects is required.

Definition Used for the Survey

A heat distribution installation includes one or more heat production units (heating plants) powered by one or more of the following types of energy:

It also has a primary pipeline network, following public or private roads, and leading to the points for distribution of heat to consumers. Secondary pipeline networks distributing heat downsteam of the primary network, are not included in the heat distribution installation.

Heat Networks, characteristics and evolution of installations.

Shows the main features of the survey and their variation since 1985. Although providing an overall view of developments, table 1 does not enable an estimation of variation of activities from one year to the other. Table 2 does permit such comparison between 366 networks studied in both 1990 and 1991.

Table 1:

Data 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
Number of heat networks 307 322 338 345 353 366 367 372
Number of heating plants 428 433 459 492 505 513 521 521
Installed capacity MW 15 844 16 336 17 082 18 121 18 785 20 175 20 499 20 919
Subscribed capacity MW 16 334 16 777 17 334 17 714 18 259 19 082 19 330 19 155
Length km 2 231 2 321 2 469 2 603 2 620 2 786 2 824 2 867
Number of sub-stations 16 141 16 713 17 305 17 758 18 111 19 098 19 413 19 786
Number of legally distinct clients 12 158 12 216 12 752 13 046 13 727 14 316 14 582 14 351
Heat sold

GWh

PJ

22 410

80.7

23 084

83.1

23 832

85.8

21 623

77.8

22 187

79.9

22 594

81.3

25 525

91.9

25 114

90.4

Energy consumed kTOE

GWh

PJ

2 611

29 764

107.2

2 738

30 996

111.6

2 787

31 443

113.2

2 589

29 027

104.5

2 653

29 916

107.7

2 761

31 127

112.1

3 062

34 618

124.6

3 039

34 639

124.7

Table 2: 366 Networks studied in both 1991 and 1992.

Data 1991 1992 Change %
Length km 2 822 2 850 +1,00%
Installed capacity MW 20 492 20 837 +1,68%
Heat distributed GWh

PJ

25 512

92.8

24 997

90.0

-2,02

Energy Consumption

Data on energy consumption are given in tables 3, 4 and 5. The following should be noted:

1. Networks essentially use forms of energy which have no alternative application:

2. Multi-fuel networks account for 80% of energy consumed. However, auxiliary heating fuels for geothermal systems are not included in this survey and geothermal networks are considered to be single-fuel networks.

Table 3: Energy consumed in all networks (total data)

1991 1992
Fuel Nbr
Consumption
Nbr Consumption
Units GWh kTOE Units GWh kTOE
Coal 88 1 233 627 t 8 882 764 81 1 216 873 t 8 761 753
Wood 4 22 470 t 67 6 5 34 158 t 102 9
Heavy oil 206 831 799 t 9 233 792 198 776 833 t 8 623 740
Light oil 148 29 598 m3 290 25 135 24 291 m3 238 20
Propane 0 0t 0 0 0 0 t 0 0
Natural Gas 185 6 129 231 MWh 5 516 472 201 6 598 962 MWh 5 939 508
Electricity (Heating) 33 138 141 MWh 138 31 31 95 327 MWh 95 21
Electricity (other uses) 367 519 560 MWh 520 115 372 556 006 MWh 556 124
Purchased heat 18 957 437 MWh 957 82 19 1 004 700 MWh 1 005 86
Urban waste 64 7 616 680 MWh 7 617 655 66 7 662 800 MWh 7 663 659
Geothermal 46 1 397 451 MWh 1 397 120 45 1 386 618 MWh 1 387 119
Gross total 367 34 618 3 062 372 34 369 3 039
Adjusted for Climate 33 303 2 945 35 229 3 115
The column Nbr lists the number of heat networks using the fuel being referred to. Since many networks use more than one fuel (see Table 5), the total numbers in this column are greater than the total number of networks.

Climatic Adjustment: Climatic adjustment is carried out using a binomial formula used by the Energy Observatory for calculating national energy balance. Only overall adjustments are carried are, since detailed adjustment would require taking into account regional, and even local, coefficients, and defining specific coefficients per fuel for each network, according to whether the fuel is basic or auxiliary, which is behond the current possibilities of the survey.

Table 4: Energy consumed in 366 networks studied in both 1991 and 1992

1991 1992
Fuel Nbr
Consumption
Nbr Consumption
Units GWh kTOE Units GWh kTOE
Coal 87 1 231 527 t 8 867,0 762,3 80 1 214 473 t 8 744,2 751,8
Wood 4 22 470 t 67,4 5,8 4 20 899 t 62,7 5,4
Heavy oil 206 831 799 t 9 233,0 791,8 196 775 737 t 8 610,7 738,5
Light oil 148 29 598 m3 290,1 24,9 134 24 086 m3 236,0 20,2
Propane 0 0t 0 0 0 0 t 0 0
Natural Gas 185 6 129 231 MWh 5 516,3 472,0 197 6 555 579 MWh 5 900,0 504,8
Electricity (Heating) 33 138 141 MWh 138,1 30,7 31 95 327 MWh 95,3 21,2
Electricity (other uses) 366 519 460 MWh 519,5 115,3 366 553 916 MWh 553,9 123,0
Purchased heat 18 957 437 MWh 957,4 82,3 18 994 408 MWh 994,4 85,5
Urban waste 64 7 616 680 MWh 7 616,7 655,0 65 7 621 077 MWh 7 621,1 655,4
Geothermal 46 1 397 451 MWh 1 397,5 120,2 45 1 386 618 MWh 1 387,6 119,3
Gross total 366 34 602,9 3 060,3 366 34 205 3 025,0
Adjusted for Climate 33 288,0 2 944,0 35 060,1 3 100,6

Table 5: Breakdown of Installations by Amount of Energy Consumed in 1992

Number of fuels used in system Systems Energy consumed
Number % GWh %
One fuel 146 39,2% 6 004 17,5%
Two fuels 149 40.1% 10 371 30,2%
Three fuels 62 16,7% 14 726 42,8%
Four or more 15 4,0% 3 268 9,5%
Total 372 100,0% 34 369 100,0%

Table 6: Breakdown by type of heating fluid in 1992

Fluid Number of heat network Number of heating plants Capacity (MW) Length (km)
Hot water 232 317 5 812,4 859,8
Superheated water 105 142 8 921,5 1 356,3
High pressure (HP) steam 21 34 4 101,4 423,6
Hot water + superheated water 9 22 1 555,4 141,6
Hot water + HP steam 2 3 107,6 17,5
Superheated water + HP steam 2 2 145,2 18,4
Hot water + superheated water + HP steam 1 1 275,0 50,0
Total 372 521 20 918,5 2 867,2

Table 7: Breakdown by sectors in 1992

Total Sector
Residential Commercial Agricultural Industrial
Number of heat networks 372 338 308 7 50
Heat sold GWh

PJ

25 114

90,4

15 824

56,9

7 578

27,3

219

0,8

1 493

5,4

Consumption kTOE

GWh

PJ

3 039

34 369

123.8

1 849

20 858

75,1

901

10 223

36,8

36

413

1,5

253

2 875

10,4

Table 8: Breakdown of use in the commercial sector

Total commercial Sub-sector
Hospitals Military Educational Others
Number of heat networks 372 94 28 254 252
Heat sold GWh

PJ

7 578

27,3

1 423

5,1

204

0,7

2 279

8,2

3 671

13,2

Consumption kTOE

GWh

PJ

9091

10 223

36,8

171

1 932

6,9

26

291

1,0

263

2 972

10,7

442

5 027

18,1

Table 9: Regional Characteristics of Heat Networks in 1992 - arranged in order of decreasing energy consumption.

Region Number Length (km) Subscribed Capacity (MW) Heat sold (GWh) Energy consumed (kTOE)
Ile-de-France 113 1,147,8 9 630,6 12 555,4 1 454,1
Rhone-Alpes 43 450,7 2 361,5 9 250,5 371,7
Alsace 15 100,8 748,1 1 023,4 150,4
Lorraine 18 120,7 766,1 976,0 142,8
Centre 18 110,3 618,8 876,3 120,0
Bourgogne 13 116,4 581,7 705,7 100,5
Nord - Pas-de-Calais 18 124,4 686,4 881,5 92,9
Haute-Normandie 12 66,2 472,6 664,2 89,5
Provence - Alpes - Cote-d'Azur 20 69,5 404,9 628,1 85,0
Pays de Loire 12 71,3 440,8 560,7 58,2
Champagne-Ardennes 15 76,6 432,1 551,2 57,9
Bretogne 5 57,1 303,5 426,3 57,3
Picardie 11 59,8 284,6 417,3 46,7
Franche-Comté 10 61,3 310,9 368,1 39,6
Basse-Normandie 8 30,0 205,4 254,8 33,4
Aquaitaine 11 44,5 271,4 266,8 32,3
Midi-Pyrénnés 8 46,3 179,0 291,4 31,7
Limousin 5 12,7 94,7 155,2 24,8
Auvergne 9 30,8 25,8 216,2 24,0
Poitou-Charentes 5 36,0 136,0 176,4 19,6
Langeudoc-Roussillon 3 24,0 105,2 168,4 27,1
Corse 0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
Total France 372 2 867,2 19 151,1 25 114,2 3 039,3