Electrically Powered Compressors Will Be Used, Allowing the District Heating Water to Reach Temperatures of Up to 110 Degrees Celsius

Construction is underway in Cologne, Germany, on a massive river-water heat pump system that will use the warmth of the Rhine River to heat around 50,000 homes. The facility, which will have a capacity of 150 megawatts, is set to become Europe's largest river-water heat pump once completed. The system is being built in the Cologne-Niehl district, with operations planned to begin in the fall of 2028. The project, costing approximately 280 million euros, will extract heat from river water, raise it to a usable temperature, and feed it into the city's existing district heating network.

Water drawn from the Rhine will have its natural heat boosted by large heat pumps before being returned to the river only a few degrees cooler. The plant will consist of three large heat pump units, each with a capacity of 50 megawatts. Electrically powered compressors will be used, allowing the district heating water to reach temperatures of up to 110 degrees Celsius.

According to RheinEnergie, the system will deliver two to three units of heat for every unit of electricity it consumes, thanks to the energy drawn from the river. Rather than building new infrastructure, the generated heat will be fed into Cologne's existing district heating network. The project also aims to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-based heat generation.

Calculations suggest that using river water could prevent at least 100,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Preparation work accelerated in early summer 2026, and the groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 23, 2026. The construction of the buildings, water intake system, pipes, and the three large heat pumps is expected to take about two years. The German federal government and the European Union are supporting the project, with roughly 100 million euros of the total 280 million euro investment covered by public funding.

If all goes as planned, the natural heat of the Rhine will begin warming tens of thousands of homes from 2028 onward. The copyright for the article, news, and photos published on the website belongs to Mega Ajans ve Rek. Tic. A.Ş. and cannot be reproduced without permission, even with attribution.