Call for tenders launched for municipal heat planning

The preparation of municipal heat planning for the city of Jena has now been put out to tender. Planning offices are invited to submit their bids by 07.11.2023. If possible, the contract should be awarded by the end of the year so that work on the plan can begin at the start of 2024. This schedule is dependent on the parallel processing of an application for funding at federal level.

Aim of the municipal heating plan

Municipal heat planning aims to determine how much heat is currently needed locally, how heat demand will develop and which heat sources and infrastructure can be used to provide heat in the future - in a climate-neutral way. The paper is therefore an important strategic planning tool for the municipality to shape the long-term heat supply. The aim is to create planning and investment security for citizens and companies.

To this end, heating network areas and areas for decentralized heat supply are identified on the basis of an existing and potential analysis in order to ensure the most cost-efficient and climate-neutral supply possible. A catalog of strategies and measures is ultimately intended to show concrete action strategies for implementing heat planning.

An important step towards climate neutrality

"The heating transition is the most important lever of the energy transition and essential for achieving climate neutrality. This is because more than half of the state's energy consumption is attributable to the heating sector, with natural gas and heating oil being the main energy sources used to date. Municipal heating planning should help Jena's citizens to deal with the individual challenges of the energy transition. That is why it is of crucial importance," emphasizes Mayor and Head of Urban Development Christian Gerlitz.

The city of Jena has already decided to draw up a municipal heating plan with the Climate Action Plan in April 2023, even though there is no legal obligation to do so yet. This means that Jena is already one step ahead of many other German municipalities. In June, for example, an application for funding was submitted via the federal funding program Municipal Guidelines, with which 90% funding is possible for the preparation of such heat planning

The city of Jena will continue to provide regular updates on the current status of heat planning.