Barcelona reinforces urban heating and cooling networks, an energy-efficient system for heating and cooling buildings that is more efficient than boilers or air conditioning. This week, procedures have begun for the construction of the third Districlima plant, the first infrastructure of these characteristics to be launched in the Catalan capital and in the rest of Spain.
The new facility will be located in the Poblenou neighborhood and will be underground. In a first phase, it will involve an investment of 44.4 million euros. The other two plants of the Districlima network are located in the Fòrum and 22@ areas. According to the city council, they prevent the emission of some 26,000 tons of CO2 each year.
Construction of the third plant will begin next year and is expected to start operations in 2025. Once operational, the facility will allow the number of buildings connected to this technology to increase by a hundred, from the current 167 to more than 240 by 2032. It is estimated that the air-conditioned area will grow from 1.5 million square meters to almost 2.5 million square meters, an area equivalent to 250 blocks of the Eixample.
Districlima is a public-private company that was established in 2002. The founders who promoted this network, also used for domestic hot water, were Engie, Tersa, Agbar, the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE) and the Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN). This followed the example of other European cities with a long tradition in the deployment of this technology, such as Helsinki and Berlin.
In addition to being more energy-efficient than boilers or air conditioning, heating and cooling networks also allow for water savings, reduced noise, reduced vibrations, and lower maintenance costs. They also represent savings in terms of space and initial investment for users.
The Districlima network is not the only one in the city. There is also the Ecoenergies network, made up of three plants that serve the Marina del Prat Vermell, but also the port, the Zona Franca, the Fira Gran Via venue and part of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The third network is planned for the future Sagrera station. The latter, with a planned investment of about 21 million euros, will cover an area of 920,000 square meters, including the station itself. It is contemplated that it can cover the new urban fabric planned in the former Mercedes-Benz factory site.