Unique district heating connection to Stena Danica launched

18/12/2014

Earlier this month, Stena Line, the City of Gothenburg and Göteborg Energi inaugurated the connection of the district heating network to the Stena Line ship, Stena Danica. This is the first time a ship in regular service has been connected to a district heating network. The innovative connection will result in a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in Gothenburg of approximately 500 tons per year.

"Stena Line is working consciously towards creating the environmentally-friendly shipping company of the future and we are a world leader in this area.  Today, at the heart of central Gothenburg, we can run a business with minimal environmental impact by connecting our ship’s shore power at the quay.  We are also assessing a number of other sustainable initiatives including the testing of methanol as a new fuel. Thanks to the district heating venture, the business is made even more sustainable in the long term through improved economic and environmental performance. The possibility to combine logistics, industry and housing in central locations is modern social planning at its best, and this is what makes Gothenburg unique," said Stena Line's CEO, Carl-Johan Hagman.

The connection to the district heating network is part of the EU Celsius Project, an initiative within Smart Cities, which is under the leadership of Göteborg Energi together with The City of Gothenburg. The aim of the project is to spread knowledge about the opportunities which exist for district heating to other towns and cities across Europe, including how they take advantage of the waste heat that is not used today.

"Gothenburg has a first-rate district heating network. We now have the opportunity to spread the experience and expertise which we have built up over many years across Europe. The connection of the Stena Danica to the district heating network is also a good example of the way the city can jointly act with players in the private sector, such as Stena Line, to find solutions that contribute to the development of a sustainable Gothenburg," says Kia Andreasson (MP), Chairman of Göteborg Energi's Board of Directors.