Ea Energy Analyses and Swedish engineering company NXITY have completed a pre-feasibility assessment of heat storage in the district heating system in Täby, greater Stockholm region. We provided decision support for the local district heating company by assessing whether a heat storage could reduce operating costs and improve operational flexibility.
The Täby district heating network serves a peak heat demand of around 60 MW through several production areas connected by a transmission network with limited transfer capacity. To assess the value of a heat storage, Ea’s energy system optimisation Balmorel model was combined with NXITY’s dynamic infrastructure simulation model PFC Pro. The integrated approach made it possible to evaluate both economic performance and technical feasibility.
The analysis showed how the thermal storage could reduce annual operating costs by enabling heat production to shift away from expensive peak-load production. At the same time, the infrastructure simulations confirmed that the operating strategies could be implemented safely in the physical district heating network. The analysis assessed transmission bottlenecks, pressure conditions, temperature levels, and transient events such as pump trips and rapid load changes.
The project highlights the growing importance of combining system economics with infrastructure realism in district heating planning. As electrification increases and technologies such as large heat pumps and electric boilers become more widespread, district heating operations are becoming increasingly dependent on hourly electricity price fluctuations. Flexible assets such as thermal storage therefore play an increasingly important role.
District heating investment decisions require both economic and technical insight. By combining optimisation modelling with dynamic network simulation through the cooperation between Ea Energy Analyses and NXITY we can provide utilities with a much stronger decision basis.
Please feel free to contact senior consultant Sara Shapiro-Bengtsen for further information.
Find information about one of our projects in Türkiye here.
We have done several projects in the Nordic countries. See some examples here.