Samhällsekonomiska vinster med regionala fjärrvärmenät

Sammanfattning: Purpose: The aim was to explore what socio-economic benefits could be made out of regional networks in an economic, environmental and social perspective. The project also aimed to investigate where there is potential for regional networks and utilization of waste heat, and what barriers exist. In order to investigate the gains that can be achieved two different models was created and then compared. The goal of the project was that the work would result in a methodology that can be used to describe the supposed socio-economic benefits of regional networks. The methodology would be of such nature that it can be applied to other regional networks than that for the study investigated area. Aims: The first part of the purpose was answered by creating two models describing an area of a regional district heating network and the same area without a regional network. To create the models, following questions was answered: What factors influence the design of the system? What characteristics must a city hold in order to be suitable for connection to the network, such as type of production facility, heat demand and geographical location? How much capacity is needed in the system and requires new plants to ensure the energy supply? The second part of the purpose was to investigate the potential for regional networks and the possibility of utilizing waste heat. To answer the purpose the following questions where solved: What basic factors are needed to build a regional network, what are the complications, what is required to use waste heat to a greater extent, what barriers exist? Methods: The first part of the purpose which was to look at the socio-economic benefits of regional networks has been answered by the creation and testing of two different models. The analytical models, built on quantitative data, are applied to real cases. The information that has been used in the models has both been of qualitative and quantitative nature and is gathered through interviews and from statistics. The second part of the purpose which was about to find out where there is potential for regional networks and utilization of waste heat is based partly on the results from the model but also on a literature review. The information used is qualitative in nature. To answer both parts of the purpose a case study approach is used. Conclusion: A regional system of district heating network provides opportunities for more efficient use of combined heat and power and waste heat by creating a greater demand for heat. The network also provides a greater flexibility in production, which ensures that the variations in heat demand, is better controlled. By optimizing the operation of the system, economic and environmental benefits are obtained. Preconditions for regional heating network depends on factors such as the number of large-scale production facilities in the area, over-capacity in production, demand of heat in the region, the cost of producing heat in local networks and the distances between the local networks. By applying the methodology, described in the thesis, it is possible to investigate the benefits of regional networks in other regions. The potential for regional networks is expected to be greatest in the regions of western Scania, Gothenburg and the greater Stockholm area. The outcome of the case study on western Scania shows that a regional network in the area is both economically viable and provides benefits to the environment, in comparison with not having a regional network. The savings amounts to 201 million SEK and carbon emissions falls by 368 000 tons annually. The cost savings is due to the increased use of combined heat and power plants in the system and the electricity generation from these facilities is crucial to how much carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced. The total benefits to society are not only economic and environmental benefits it is also social benefits. Social benefits of a regional network can be an increased security of supply of district heating, better living environment and climate, the ability for people to choose their supplier and that district heating may increase its competitive advantage over other heating alternatives which may eventually lead to relatively lower price increases for district heating than of other alternatives. Regional networks improve the socio-economic benefits at a regional level and in a wider perspective also at a national level.