To build a large heat transport pipe from Voelklingen to Saarbruecken to enable the collection and transport of heat available from various sources (power plant, waste heat) to the city of Saarbruecken. The pipeline is projected for a maximum heat capacity of 300 MW.
For the first operating period for 1983 to 1991 a gradual increase of the demand for heat from the pipeline from 75 MW to 175 MW is estimated.
In 1982 a modification of the planned laying of the pipe had to be made and the section foreseen on the right river bank had to be changed over to the left bank with the pipe laid partly underground, partly overground towards the Fenne power plant. The change was due to the soil conditions on the right bank which is severely damaged by mining and under threat of high waters as well as suffering from delays in civil works on the river.
In 1983 it appeared that a section of the ground through which the pipe had to be laid in the Fenne area was also unsuitable for underground laying and hence had to go overground again near the Fenne power plant.
The pipeline has started working by the end of 1983. At present, the demonstration phase which will last until 1992 is going on.
A heat pipeline already exists between the Voelklingen power plant and the city network of Voelklingen. The project involves the extension of the pipeline from the area of Voelklingen to the city of Saarbruecken.
The project includes 2 major phases with the following steps :
A) Extraction of heat from the Voelklingen power plant (known as the model power plant) with STEP 1: construction of a heat exchanger to extract heat from the plant's exhaust gases with all necessary ancillary equipment, piping, control and monitoring devices etc.
STEP 2: construction of an extension of the existing distribution and monitoring station in Voelklingen.
B) Construction of the pipeline from the Voelklingen power plant to the distribution point located at Roonstrasse in Saarbruecken. The pipe system consists in fact of 2 pipes, one for the transport to Saarbruecken with a max. operating temperature of 180 deg.C and one for the return transport with a temperature of 80 deg.C. The nominal operating pressure is 40 Kg/cm2 and the diameter 600 mm, capable of transporting 25000 m3/hour. It will be built partly above ground, partly underground in appropriate channels with monitoring devices to locate problems and switch off sections if required.