50Hertz collaborates with partners to establish a 120 MW power-to-heat facility in Germany.

German energy company BEW Berliner Energie und Waerme, along with local grid operators 50Hertz and Stromnetz Berlin, has begun the construction of a 120-MW power-to-heat plant in Berlin. The aim is to make use of surplus renewable energy and alleviate strain on the power transmission network.

On Monday, 50Hertz announced it would allocate up to EUR 75 million (USD 87.9 million) to fund the project's construction. BEW is tasked with building the facility, while Stromnetz Berlin will handle the grid connection.

The new plant will be situated at the Berlin-Mitte combined heat and power (CHP) facility. It will harness electricity from wind and solar sources during times of high grid input and potential congestion in northeastern Germany, converting it into heat for Berlin's district heating network.

This facility will be integrated into 50Hertz's strategies for managing grid congestion. Rather than curtailing wind or solar output, the power-to-heat plant will take in the excess electricity. This method contributes to reduced fossil fuel usage and decreased carbon dioxide emissions.

Specifically, the proposed system is anticipated to prevent around 76,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions within its first five years by cutting gas consumption at the Berlin-Mitte CHP plant and boosting renewable energy usage.

In the long run, the plant has the capacity to provide district heating to over 30,000 average households during peak winter use. Additionally, it will produce enough hot water for approximately 360,000 households in the summer.

The facility is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2028.

50Hertz will oversee the facility's operations for five years under a joint redispatch agreement, with the expectation that the investment will recoup its costs within that timeframe.