CO₂-neutral heat supply for the Garching research campus

TUM will reduce its CO₂ emissions by 30,000 tons annually going forward

Less CO₂, lower operating costs, more sustainability: The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is planning a major initiative in Garching. Together with the energy service provider GETEC , the site aims to be CO_2-neutral by 2028. The contract that has now been signed seals the beginning of a long-term cooperation.

© Technical University of Munich

The key to this is the intelligent use of what is already there: Waste heat. In the future, the majority of the heating power will come from the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre, a facility of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities on the research campus. Its high-performance computers produce considerable heat and have to be cooled at great expense. In the future, this energy will be fed into the campus's local heating network.

Further heat is obtained via geothermal energy, i.e. hot thermal water from the underground of Garching. In addition, there are heat pumps and – for peak load requirements – electric boilers. Only for the absolutely necessary guarantee of security of supply in the event of a power failure is there a new, particularly efficient gas boiler.

TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann said: "We are serious about our commitment to greater sustainability and continue to implement our TUM Sustainable Futures Strategy 2030 . In addition to research into innovative and efficient technologies, this also includes the day-to-day operations of our university. For us, this is a question of responsibility for future generations and credibility. I would like to thank the TUM Sustainability Office and the Vice President of Sustainable Transformation,  Prof. Werner Lang, for their support as well as our real estate management for planning and implementing this innovative step. Everything should be ready in just three years."

The Chancellor of TUM, Albert Berger, added: "With GETEC, our TUM facilities department has found a partner with a great deal of international experience for the implementation of such large-scale projects. These specialists will take over the complete operation and maintenance of the new campus-wide heat supply. And they are building extensive new pipelines and other necessary infrastructure for this purpose. These are absolutely sensible investments in the future of our university operations."

Dr. Henning Lustermann, Managing Director of GETEC Wärme und Effizienz GmbH, emphasises: "We are proud to be able to accompany the Technical University of Munich in this flagship heating transition project. Our energy concept proves that security of supply, economic efficiency and climate change mitigation are not mutually exclusive. By intelligently networking various local heat sources, such as the waste heat from the supercomputer and geothermal energy, we are creating a future-proof system that meets the high standards of a campus of excellence."

Heating transition thanks to smart technology and control

In 2022, the Garching campus consumed around 127 gigawatt hours (GWh) of natural gas for heat generation alone. In the future, natural gas will be completely eliminated in regular operation. The campus will then draw 43.5 GWh from renewable heat sources. The lower energy consumption is also made possible by lowering the temperature of the hot water network from 140 degrees to 80 to 100 degrees. Currently, more than 30,000 tons of CO₂ are produced, but in regular operation in the future, this will drop to zero.

For the implementation, some new district heating pipes and a new energy centre will be built on the campus. All transfer stations to the buildings will be renewed and the buildings will be renovated to the necessary extent. In addition, the boiler system in the existing combined heat and power plant at the TUM Campus Garching will be renewed. The old infrastructure will be taken out of service and dismantled.

At the heart of the new energy centre are seven powerful large-scale heat pumps  with a total heat output of just under 10MW,  which work with environmentally friendly refrigerants. They are supplemented by huge heat storage tanks and electric boilers that flexibly convert excess electricity into heat. The entire system is digitally monitored around the clock by a Smart Control Center. Algorithms ensure that heat is preferably produced when green electricity is cheaply available in the grid. The partnership is designed for the long term: GETEC and TUM have decided to enter into a 20-year collaboration.

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