Germany supports Heat Networks 4.0

On 1 July 2017, the German economy ministry began its support for feasibility studies on climate-friendly heat networks and their subsequent construction. At the beginning of October, BAFA, the government agency managing the Heat Network 4.0 programme, said it had approved 90 studies and the implementation of three systems, while the tentative allocation of subsidies to another two proposals could bring even more projects to fruition. The deadline for submitting applications is 31 December 2020.

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Country / region	Germany
Name of programme	Wärmenetze 4.0 (English: Heat Networks 4.0)
Type of incentive	Investment subsidy
Eligible technologies	Climate-friendly heating networks with a high proportion of renewable energies and waste heat
Applicable sectors	Companies incl. engineering offices and project developers, municipalities/cities/counties, municipal enterprises, registered associations / cooperatives
Amount	Feasibility studies: 60% for small and medium-sized enterprises, 50% for other companies Investment subsidy: 20% basic funding (30% for SMEs), plus up to 10% sustainability premium and 10% cost efficiency premium, up to 75% for innovative individual components or other process innovations
Maximum incentive	Feasibility studies capped at EUR 600.000 Investment subsidies capped at EUR 15 million
Technical requirements	At least half of the heat fed into the grid must come from renewable energy sources Seasonal heat storages are standard unless they are not economically feasible
Finance provider	Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA)
Funding source	Public funds
Effective date	1 July 2017
Expiration date	31 December 2020
Website	Link (in German)
Last review of this tabloid	Oktober 2019
Contact	Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control Referat 513 – Grundsatz MAP – Förderbereich 1 Frankfurter Straße 29 – 35, 65760 Eschborn Phone 0049 6196 908-2249