City's heating strategies: Passau Municipality

The city of Passau, nestled along the Danube River in Bavaria, has embarked on an ambitious journey towards a sustainable future. On November 2024, the city initiated municipal heat planning, with the goal of developing heat supply options by 2045. This initiative is in line with the Heat Planning Act, which became effective on January 1, 2024.

The heat planning aims to analyze and address the future heat demand of residential buildings, commerce, industry, and public facilities in a climate-friendly manner. The process begins with the collection and preparation of necessary data, followed by the first step in the current phase: the suitability test.

The suitability test has now been carried out, dividing the city area into 80 sub-areas and examining them for basic suitability for a pipeline-bound heat supply via heat or hydrogen networks. The results of this test are an important first step in the municipal heat planning process.

Areas with particularly high renovation needs were identified, requiring targeted energy modernization measures for efficient heat supply. No further heat planning is required for areas that are already largely supplied with renewable energies or have little heat demand.

The next phase of the heat plan is the stocktaking and potential analysis, involving examining current heat consumption, existing energy infrastructure, and potential renewable energy sources. The city is engaging in dialogue with local experts such as energy suppliers and grid operators to create the heat plan, with planned expert interviews and stakeholder workshops.

A target scenario will be developed, showing the path to greenhouse gas-neutral heat supply by 2045, with interim targets for 2030, 2035, and 2040. The strategic roadmap for the heat planning is being developed with the support of commissioned planning offices PLAN-WERK Stadtentwicklung from Nuremberg and ARC+ from Regensburg.

The municipal heat planning is part of an effort to reduce Germany's reliance on fossil fuels for heat generation. Around 60 percent of Germany's total energy consumption is attributed to the generation of heat and cold, primarily through fossil fuels.

The city of Passau submitted an application for funding for a municipal heat plan in July 2023, which was approved by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in September 2024. The tendering process for the planning office and the awarding of the contract took place towards the end of 2024.

Mayor Jürgen Dupper stated that the municipal heat planning will create a foundation for a climate-friendly, economically viable, and future-proof heat supply in the city. The heat planning is expected to be completed by 2045, marking a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable Passau.