At the beginning of November, you signed a public service delegation (DSP) with the energy services company Idex Territoires with a view to building a heating network. How is this project innovative?
The network will valorize coal gas, also called firedamp and composed mainly of methane. Remaining trapped in the mine galleries since the end of their exploitation, this gas is currently burned by the Gazonor company to generate electricity. But the heat produced goes into nature. We will recover it to inject it into a 14 km heat network which will supply social housing and public buildings. By using this resource rather than natural gas coming from the United States by cargo ship, we will reduce the municipality’s greenhouse gas emissions by 43%.
Is this choice financially interesting?
Yes, despite the €14 million cost of the DSP, it will generate significant savings in the long term. Indeed, if subscribers’ first bill will be barely lower than that paid today, it will be the same in twenty years.
We have in fact negotiated a stable price over this period, and the heat that we purchase will be uncorrelated from energy price indices. The municipality will thus save 65,000 euros in the first year.
What is the scale of the work?
We will have to open sidewalks, streets… There are some technical difficulties to overcome because the network will have to cross a national road and pass under a railway line. Engineers are currently looking for solutions. Thirteen to fourteen months of work will be necessary. The authorizations are granted, the contract signed, all that remains is to give the first sod. Commissioning should take place between 2025 and 2026.
Swiss
