First German large-scale heat pump goes into operation at GKM Mannheim

With only 7 MW of electrical power, a total of 20 MW of thermal power is produced, which supplies thousands of households with heat via the district heating network.

With a focus on environmental protection and efficient energy production, the large heat pump plays an important role in the energy transition. Among other things, CO2 consumption is reduced by 10,000 tons annually. It can also integrate other renewable energy sources such as biomass or solar energy into the process.

This large heat pump also uses energy from the environment. The following main components are important here: a large condenser, evaporator, compressor and an expansion valve.

The special feature of this innovative energy generation is that the waste heat from the power plant process is used, which is normally released back into the environment unused. However, this waste heat is now collected and converted into higher-quality heat, which can then be used for heating purposes or process steam.

In this project, INP Deutschland drew up the technical specification for the electrical energy requirements. A network analysis (short circuit and load flow calculation) was carried out.

The project also included planning the electrical connection of the giant heat pump to the existing 10 kV grid (medium and low-voltage switchgear, auxiliary transformers, rectifier and inverter switchgear, cabling of the components, feed-in from unit 8 of the GKM).

The giant heat pump at GKM Mannheim is a remarkable example of how the energy industry is changing around the world. It shows how the integration of renewable energies and the efficient use of waste heat can help to reduce environmental pollution and at the same time achieve economic benefits. With projects like this, we are moving towards a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable future together.