The Importance of Asset Management of District Heating Pipes for the Implementation of Climate Goals in Europe

The aim of the asset management of district heating pipes is to create a financial framework for a reliable, affordable and ecological heat supply in a district heating system. Today, estimates based on available statistical data suggest that over 19,000 heating networks with a total pipeline route length of over 199,000 kilometres supply heat to over 80 million inhabitants in the European Union (EU). With the ‘European Green Deal’ and the EU ‘Fit-for-55’ legislative package, the EU has described its climate goals and established the political framework for achieving them through the ‘Renewable Energy Directive’ (RED III), the ‘Energy Performance of Buildings Directive’ (EPBD) and ‘Energy Efficiency Directive’ (EED). Existing district heating systems, their transformation and expansion as well as building new district heating systems are essential for the achievement of the European climate goals. To this end, network operators require reliable asset management tools for implementing the EU climate goals. This paper presents the factors influencing the service life of different pipe systems and approaches for improving asset management simulations based on ongoing national and international research.