Rennes Métropole's North Vilaine to extend its district heating system

Rennes Métropole has awarded the public service delegation contract for the North Vilaine district heating system to ENGIE Solutions, an 18-year contract that will enable the development of 36 km of networks to provide increasingly virtuous heat throughout the Rennes area. The Rennes Métropole North and East network extension and interconnection project is part of its Territorial Climate, Air and Energy Plan, which aims to increase the region's energy independence.

To do this, an ambitious network development programme will be rolled out over the next 5 years, in which En’RnoV, the new local subsidiary of ENGIE Solutions is involved. In total, 36 km of networks will be added to the existing 30 km to provide heat, of which more than 68% is produced from local and renewable energy originating primarily from waste (Energy Recovery Unit) and wood (biomass). This will generate savings of 171,000 tonnes of CO2 over the term of the contract.

From 2020, the first phases of work will start with the development of new production means, in particular the creation of a new boiler house near to the CHRU (Regional University Hospital). In addition, operations will also be conducted to optimise the distribution of heat and network safety. To accompany the extension and the zero carbon transition of the Rennes district heating system, the ENGIE Solutions teams are developing new digital optimisation tools to manage the current equipment and future installations, in particular the 187 new substations (delivery points for the heat) that will be 100 % connected from 2021. In total, more than 54 million euros will be invested to develop the network, including more than 11 million euros of subsidies expected by ADEME and 1.9 million euros expected from Energy Savings Certificates.