Waste? No more: Industrial waste heat-utilization for district heating : A feasibility study in the southeastern districts of Uppsala, Sweden

Sammanfattning

To determine the feasibility of utilizing industrial waste heat to support a future urban district, this study models the integration of a local industrial park into the energy infrastructure of the Southeastern districts (SÖS) in Uppsala, Sweden. Four potential sectors: data centers, steel manufacturing, hydrogen-based production, and life science, were analyzed using projected hourly supply and demand data for the year 2050. These industries were scaled according to a 100 ha site and a 100 MW grid capacity to evaluate their performance within a fourth-generation district heating (4GDH) network. The results indicate that all selected industries provide a continuous energy supply. Data centers were identified as the most effective individual source, covering 76.0 % of the annual heating demand and maintaining the highest waste heat density relative toland use. Scenario evaluation demonstrated that a combination of a data center and steel manufacturing could satisfy hourly demands for 84.2 % of the year. However, results regarding temperature compatibility showed that while most facilities produce medium-grade heat, the low-grade waste heat from the life science sector necessitates temperature upgrades via heat pumps. The findings conclude that while industrial waste heat could be a vital asset for Uppsala's 2050 climate goals, it cannot operate as a standalone solution. The presence of significant seasonal peaks confirms that even with optimized industrial combinations, supplementary peak-load resources remain essential for system reliability.