RIGA

Overview: Riga, Latvia’s capital, is the political and economic centre of the country. It has a population of around 600.000 inhabitants, being the second largest urban agglomeration in the Baltics. The size and density of Riga make it the perfect place for the development of a district heating infrastructure. Current DH system: Riga has a well-established district heating network. The systems started their operations in 1958 and have expanded ever since. The city boasts an impressive district heating network, expanding more than 830km and serving more than 8200 customers, including individual households and businesses.  It distributes around 3170 GWh/year. Today, Riga’s district heating energy comes mainly from natural gas and biomass, but a complete phase out of fossil fuels is envisioned for the next years. What work will ENABLE DHC do: the project will work towards increasing the participation of renewables in the energy mix. The use of waste heat from data centres and sewage water is being investigated by the partners in the project. By 2030, there is an expectation that renewables share will increase by 90%. Another relevant development planned is the connection of different branches of the DH network, facilitating the system management and allowing for the installation of thermal storage solutions. Partners involved: REA and Ambiente Italia