By Helene Cheret

When the cold hits, the citizens of Harndrup light their fire in the basement or utility room. Most burn gas, others oil or wood pellets. Because here in North Funen, far from the central district heating system, there are long prospects of being connected. This is what Elisabeth Tejlmand, who has lived in the city since 2002 with her husband and two children, and who is a communications consultant on a daily basis, tells us.

"We have been told by the municipality and two local district heating companies that expansion with district heating will not be possible with us before 2030, and that we must therefore come up with something else. And we have done that," says Elisabeth Tejlmand, who is a member of the city's local committee.

Since 2021, she has been working with a small group of other citizens in the city to find a way for the city to scrap all fossil fuels and instead heat the homes with renewable energy. For her, it is especially about the city's future. 

"We have a Brugs, large associations and institutions, but how long will it last without a future-proof heat supply?" she says and continues: 

"Young people are interested in the climate, and if we make measures that reduce our CO2 emissions, it can make the city attractive to young house buyers. It may give more appetite to get involved in making local energy supply, perhaps expanding with a wind turbine or solar panels and using surplus heat from local companies. There are many options. The hope is that in five years we can be proud of having a heating supply that is climate-friendly and cheap, and that we can attract new people to the city," she says. 

War, security and energy prices

It all started with a citizens' meeting, where the local committee wanted to gather all the people's different ideas, hopes and dreams for the area. Among the 80 present, one person mentioned the village's future heating supply. What would it look like? There were several people who wanted to go ahead with that topic, including Elisabeth Tejlmand, who signed up for the heating group under the local committee.

While the group continued to work on the subject in the small town, a violent event unfolded on the international stage; Russia entered Ukraine. Now war, security, security of supply and energy prices were on many minds, also in Harndrup. When the heating group held their next citizens' meeting, 90 concerned citizens came.

"At the meeting there is this feeling that you cannot control your expenses. At the same time, the political announcement came from Mette Frederiksen that all natural gas must be phased out. And it further sparks interest in what it is that we actually go and geek out with in that small working group," says Elisabeth Tejlmand. 

They first get in touch with an adviser from Region South Denmark, who helps them find out what the possibilities are for creating a collective heating supply. Here they start looking at the thermonet concept. They map the houses and type of heating in the area and estimate that they can convert 300 households that are currently heated with natural gas and oil. They set up the association 'Fjeldsted-Harndrup Nærvarme', and reach out to the area's residents. 136 people indicate that they would like to be connected to a thermal network and buy a share. Then they get help from Middelfart Municipality, which through EU funds has the opportunity to finance a project proposal. The working group joins an engineering company and develops a plan that is ready today. 

The district heating project will cover three small villages Fjelsted, Harndrup and Fjellerup. The heat must first of all come from the ground. They will lay pipes in the roads, green communal areas and fields. The pipes must then conduct the heat into the houses and be further heated with heat pumps set up in each house and further into the radiators. In addition, they would like to make an agreement with the energy developer European Energy, which has plans to set up a large solar park nearby, so that they can become co-owners of it and get green electricity for the area.

The district heating project is a big project, admits Elisabeth Tejlmand. It is set at 45 million. So a question arises: Wouldn't it be easier if everyone just bought their own individual air to air heat pump? 

"Yes, for those who can afford it. But if you look at who lives out here, it is far from everyone who can afford a heat pump for DKK 150.000, or who can borrow the money from the bank. And few can do it again in 15 years, when it must be replaced with a new one. In our city, e.g. the day care mother, the truck drivers, people in the service professions and pensioners. Many also live for rent, and the landlord has no interest in energy renovating the house or replacing the boiler with a heat pump. Therefore, it makes good sense to create a common heating supply for all citizens.”

Companies that slip 

In Denmark, a number of large solar parks are being planned, which energy developers and farmers are working together to establish. In some places, it creates frustration and resistance in the local population. Elisabeth Tejlmand can get used to that reluctance. 

"For me, solar systems represent a responsible way of using the earth's resources. And you can only feel proud of that. But I understand the frustration that arises when a company comes along and makes a hell of a lot of money without taking an interest in the local community, and slips away again," she says and continues: 

"Here in the village communities, people have benefited over time when the farms and the cooperative movement have done well. They have been involved in their local areas because their child went to school here. They sponsored the sports association and were part of the local area. This is not the case with the plants that just drop down from above, are owned by someone far away and maybe even resold to someone who lives even further away. They are completely decoupled from the immediate area.”

That's why Elisabeth Tejlmand is happy that European Energy in their solar cell project on North Funen has opened up the possibility of supplying power to the local heating project and for co-ownership, because then the local area might come together to buy a share and create a fund from which they can distribute funds each year for local development. This is what Elisabeth Tejlmand hopes for.

Next step

The question is what will now happen with the district heating project. Because even though Elisabeth Tejlmand and her co-players in the project want to reach the goal, they have realized that it cannot be done by sheer voluntary power. 

"We have spent many evenings and weekends on the project. But we are also just ordinary people with an ordinary job and family. And now there is a need for professional people with the right skills. Gelsted Fjernvarme would like to take care of the actual operation of the project. But who will drive the installation of district heating itself, and who will help finance it? It is still unknown. Right now, our project plan is with Middelfart Municipality," she says.

One of the unanswered questions that the villages considering the thermonet are waiting for answers to is related to legislation. Can the thermonet be considered collective heating in the Heat Supply Act? If so, you can apply for a municipal guarantee when you take out a loan from the bank. This will mean that you can get the loan at a lower interest rate and with a guarantee that if it fails, the state will seize you. The association or the project owners do not run the risk themselves. Here they are waiting for a response from the Ministry of Climate and Energy, which is investigating the matter. 

"It will mean a lot if it can fall under the collective heating category. Because then it will be easier to find a company that will be at the forefront of the project," she says.  

Winter is upon us

Last winter was tough for many as energy costs exploded. This also applied to Elisabeth Thejlmand, who at the time lived in a house with a gas stove.

"We ran up to 24.000 in heating costs, and we even used our wood-burning stove. We hadn't actually used it much for many years, but last winter it was running. It was a bit of a choice between freezing and at the same time sparing the climate, or the opposite. So it was a bit uncomfortable. But our economy could handle it. It's not like that for everyone," she says, recalling the many stories of people who were hit by high energy bills last year - some moved from their house into caravans and tents because they couldn't pay the gas bills. 

Elisabeth Tejlmand and her family were not under that pressure last year. But the house they lived in was old and leaky, and they needed more space and a garden. Therefore, in late summer they chose to move to another house in the same town, now with a heat pump. 

“The heat pump was already installed. But as soon as the district heating project is running, we will of course connect so that we can become part of it," she says and continues: 

"Our area has the foundations to become self-sufficient in energy. If all oil and gas villages could become so, it would mean something for CO2 reduction and security of supply. It must also mean something in the big climate account.” 

This article is part of our project 'Yes in my backyard', where we focus on how people help drive the green transition in their local communities.

Facts about the Fjeldsted-Harndrup Nærvarme project

Number of consumers: 309

Capital investment: 45 million 

CO2 reduction: 15.000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents annually

Time horizon: 5 years

Types of heating today: 768 households with either oil, natural gas or wood pellets according to BBR.