Annual savings of 6,000 tons of CO2: ENGIE Deutschland and GASAG implement new, innovative heating concept for the Das Neue Gartenfeld district.

Berlin - Quartierswerk Gartenfeld GmbH, a joint venture between ENGIE Deutschland and GASAG Solution Plus, is replacing the existing energy concept for the Das Neue Gartenfeld district with a new climate-friendly heating concept. The heating concept signed in 2021, based on an innovative combined heat and power plant, no longer met the changing requirements for a safe, affordable and sustainable energy solution. The Ukraine war has exacerbated the gas procurement situation and led to rising costs. As mitigating the consequences of the energy and climate crisis requires long-term, future-proof heating concepts based on sustainable energy sources, various heating solutions were re-examined and their potential identified. These included geothermal energy and the use of surface collectors; however, the main arguments against these solutions were the increased space requirements and the water protection area designated for the site, which precludes geothermal drilling. Another option was the use of waste heat from a data center. Following in-depth analyses, this proved to be economically and ecologically viable, meaning that the planning consortium is now using low-temperature waste heat from a neighboring data center. This means that the 31-hectare development area Das Neue Gartenfeld in Berlin-Spandau can be supplied with heat with low CO₂ emissions. The revised heating concept for Das Neue Gartenfeld shows that decentralized, low-CO₂ solutions can and will be an important part of a successful energy transition.

Niklas Wiegand, Managing Director of ENGIE Deutschland, emphasizes: "At ENGIE Deutschland, it is important to us to show our customers future-proof paths even in uncertain times. This also means reacting quickly and in a targeted manner to changing conditions - as we are doing for Das Neue Gartenfeld." As a contractor, you need flexibility and a holistic approach: For example, the focus for Das Neue Gartenfeld, which will provide new residential and commercial space for over 10,000 people and for which the foundation stone was laid earlier this year, is now on a self-sufficient and completely green heat supply.

Matthias Trunk, GASAG Management Board Member for Sales: "We have been working on the use of waste heat from data centers within the GASAG Group for some time and are delighted to be able to contribute our knowledge to this project. In particular, the constructive cooperation within the Quartierswerk and with our project partners has made this unique supply concept possible, with which we will make an impressive contribution to Berlin's heat transition."

CO₂ savings almost quintupled

The new heating concept will help GEWOBAG and the Das Neue Gartenfeld planning consortium, consisting of the developers UTB Projektmanagement GmbH, BUWOG, Baugenossenschaft BeGeno16 eG, Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Am Ostseeplatz eG and Jula GmbH, make significant progress in terms of climate neutrality: overall, CO₂ emissions will be reduced by 6,000 tons per year compared to fossil fuels. This means that the building owners are saving almost 5,000 tons of CO₂ per year more than planned in the original concept for 2021. Due to the fair energy prices and the innovative supply concept, Gewobag, one of the largest real estate companies in Germany, has joined the planning consortium. In addition to the green heat supply, the concept of ENGIE Deutschland and GASAG impresses with a fiber optic network for Internet provision, green space maintenance, water treatment and other services that enable a secure supply for the residents in the immediate vicinity. The partners are also responsible for operational management.

Thomas Bestgen, Managing Director of UTB Projektmanagement GmbH, reports: "We are delighted that, together with our partners ENGIE and GASAG, we have responded very quickly to the new legal challenges posed by the energy crisis and can jointly develop and secure a sustainable energy supply that will benefit, above all, the people who live and work on Gartenfeld Island.

BUWOG Managing Director Eva Weiß adds: "The Quartierswerk's new concept proves the added value that green technology can offer in both economic and ecological terms. With the heating system, we are not only making Das Neue Gartenfeld climate-friendly, but also benefiting from very economical operation.

Markus Terboven, member of the Gewobag Management Board, adds: "We are not only investing over 700 million euros and are creating almost 1,000 new and affordable apartments for Berlin in the first construction phase. We also want a stable and sustainable heating supply for our future tenants. The new heating concept will achieve this. We are proud to be part of this project and to bring Berlin a step closer to climate neutrality.